Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Secretory Burst Duration Is Independent from LH, Prolactin, or Gonadal Steroid Plasma Levels in Amenorrheic Women

Genazzani, Alessandro D.; Petraglia, Felice; Benatti, R; Montanini, V.; Algeri, I; Volpe, Annibale; Genazzani, Andrea R.

doi:10.1210/jcem-72-6-1220

Cited by 57 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Time series of LH and FSH were first evaluated separately to estimate the random measurement error on the duplicates using the program PREDETEC.WK1 as previously described (19)(20)(21). Then secretory episodes on each time series were identified using the program DETECT as previously described (21) with a P value equal to 0.01 (1%) for the nominal falsepositive rate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A venous catheter was placed into a forearm vein before pulsatility assessment until 1600 h, after which subjects were discharged. The following blood samples were collected every 10 min for 8 h (49 samples) from 0800 to 1600 h in order to determine the spontaneous episodic LH and FSH secretion as previously described (19). In the 8-h blood sampling, all the samples obtained were stored until assayed for LH and FSH.…”

Section: Assessment Of Hpg Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis in two men with aromatase deficiency: evidence that circulating estrogens are required at the hypothalamic level for the integrity of gonadotropin negative feedback

et al. 2006

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Background: In men, the feedback of gonadotropins is regulated by estrogens that come from the aromatization of testosterone, but the relative contribution to the inhibition of LH and FSH secretion by the amount of locally produced estrogens within the hypothalamus and/or the pituitary, and the amount of circulating estrogens still remains unknown. Objective: In order to evaluate the effect of regulation induced by estradiol on the hypothalamicpituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, we studied the pulsatility of LH and FSH in two aromatase-deficient men (called subject 1 and subject 2), in which the production rate of estrogen (both local and circulating) is completely, or at least severely, impaired. Design: FSH and LH were evaluated in terms of their pulsated secretion and as GnRH-stimulated secretion in two phases: phase 1, before estrogen treatment; and phase 2, during estrogen treatment with 25 mg transdermal estradiol twice weekly. Methods: Blood samples were taken during phase 1 and phase 2 at 0800 h for basal measurements of LH, FSH, inhibin B, testosterone, and estradiol. The analysis of the pulsatility of LH and FSH was performed by sampling every 10 min for 8 h in the two phases. Gonadotropin response to GnRH-stimulation test was studied by serial standard sampling after 100 mg GnRH i.v. bolus in phases 1 and 2. Results: Estrogen treatment led to a significant reduction in both LH-pulsated frequency (7.5G0.7 in phase 1, 4.5G0.7 in phase 2) and amplitudes (3.5G0.006 in phase 1, 1.9G0.4 in phase 2) of peaks, whereas FSH showed only a conspicuous reduction in serum levels and a trend towards the reduction of the amplitudes of its peaks without modification of the frequency of the pulses. Both testosterone and gonadotropins decreased during phase 2, whereas estradiol reached the normal range in both subjects. Transdermal estradiol treatment significantly lowered the peaks of both serum LH and FSH after GnRH as well as the incremental area under the curve after GnRH administration in both subjects. Basal serum inhibin B levels were slightly higher before transdermal estradiol treatment (phase 1) than during estrogen treatment (phase 2) in both subjects. Conclusions: The administration of estrogen to aromatase-deficient men discloses the effects of circulating estrogens on LH secretion, exerted both at pituitary level, as shown by the decrease of basal and GnRH-stimulated secretion of LH and the LH pulsed amplitude, and at hypothalamic level as shown by the reduction of the frequency of LH pulses. The present study, coupling the outcomes of basal, GnRH-stimulated and the pulsatile evaluation of LH and FSH secretion in two aromatase-deficient men, demonstrates that circulating estrogens play an inhibitory role in LH secretion by acting on the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland of men. The discrepancy among testosterone levels, the arrest of spermatogenesis and a slightly inappropriate respective increase of serum FSH (lower than expected) suggests a possible role of estrogens in the priming and the maturatio...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Assessment Of Hpg Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis in two men with aromatase deficiency: evidence that circulating estrogens are required at the hypothalamic level for the integrity of gonadotropin negative feedback

et al. 2006

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“…Plasma LH and FSH concentrations were determined by use of a immunofluorimetric assay (IFMA) previously described elsewhere (8,16). The sensitivity of the assay expressed as the minimal detectable dose was 0.1 IU/ mL.…”

Section: Assaymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among the causes of secondary amenorrhea, FHA represents one of the most common (1)(2)(3), and it has been considered responsible for approximately 30% to 35% of cases (3,7). Several neuroendocrine aberrations have been described in patients with FHA (1-7), and the major aspect of this endocrine disease is the frequent presence of reduced LH plasma levels with abnormal pulsatile release (8,9). Though a predisposition cannot be excluded (10), FHA is associated mainly with stress and stressful conditions such as dieting, psychological stress, or excessive physical exercise, which can disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary activity controlling ovarian function (1,2).…”

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confidence: 99%

Estriol administration modulates luteinizing hormone secretion in women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea

Genazzani

Męczekalski

Podfigurna-Stopa

et al. 2012

Fertility and Sterility

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“…Basal LH and FSH concentrations were determined using an immunofluorimetric assay, as described previously (19,20). Basal PRL, E2, P, DHEA and cortisol concentrations were determined using a commercially available radioimmunoassay (Radim RIA; Pomezia, Rome, Italy) whose intra-assay and interassay coefficients of variation ranged between 4.1% and 8.8%, as previously described (20,21).…”

Section: Assaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pulsatile secretory characteristics of allopregnanolone, a neuroactive steroid, during the menstrual cycle and in amenorrheic subjects

Genazzani

Luisi

Malavasi

et al. 2002

European Journal of Endocrinology

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Objective: To investigate whether allopregnanolone, a neuroactive steroid involved in modulating behavioural and neuroendocrine functions, shows episodic secretion in eumenorrheic women, during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle, and in women with stress-induced amenorrhea. Patients: Six eumenorrheic women and 14 women with hypothalamic amenorrhea were enrolled for the present study. Methods: All subjects underwent hormonal evaluation in baseline conditions and a pulsatility study to determine LH, cortisol and allopregnanolone episodic release. Eumenorrheic subjects were investigated twice, in the follicular phase (days 3-7) and in the luteal phase (days 18-22) of the menstrual cycle. LH, FSH, prolactin, estradiol, phosphate, DHEA, allopregnanolone and cortisol levels were evaluated in each case. Results: In healthy women, serum gonadotropin and gonadal steroid levels were significantly lower (P , 0:01 and P , 0:05 respectively) than those in amenorrheic subjects. Allopregnanolone was higher in amenorrheic subjects and during the luteal phase, compared with the follicular phase, of eumenorrheic subjects ðP , 0:01Þ: Pulse analysis revealed a significant episodic discharge of allopregnanolone in all subjects (follicular phase 6:5^0:3 peaks/6 h and luteal phase 5:5^0:4 peaks/6 h, hypothalamic amenorrhea 7:0^0:7 peaks/6 h) with higher pulse amplitude in amenorrheic subjects and during the luteal phase compared with the follicular phase of the eumenorrheic subjects ðP , 0:05Þ: Moreover, the specific concordance index demonstrated that allopregnanolone is coupled with LH only during the luteal phase of the cycle and with cortisol during both phases. Allopregnanolone -cortisol coupling was also observed in amenorrheic subjects. Conclusions: Allopregnanolone is secreted episodically. Both the ovary and adrenal glands release this steroid hormone and it shows temporal coupling with LH only during the luteal phase, with cortisol during both the studied phases of the menstrual cycle in eumenorrheic women and again with cortisol in hypothalamic amenorrheic patients.

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Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Secretory Burst Duration Is Independent from LH, Prolactin, or Gonadal Steroid Plasma Levels in Amenorrheic Women

Cited by 57 publications

References 34 publications

Hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis in two men with aromatase deficiency: evidence that circulating estrogens are required at the hypothalamic level for the integrity of gonadotropin negative feedback

Hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis in two men with aromatase deficiency: evidence that circulating estrogens are required at the hypothalamic level for the integrity of gonadotropin negative feedback

Estriol administration modulates luteinizing hormone secretion in women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea

Pulsatile secretory characteristics of allopregnanolone, a neuroactive steroid, during the menstrual cycle and in amenorrheic subjects

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