AMPLIFICATION OF NOCTURNAL MELATONIN SECRETION IN WOMEN WITH FUNCTIONAL HYPOTHALAMIC AMENORRHEA

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Abstract
Plasma melatonin levels were determined by a sensitive RIA at 30 min intervals for 24 h to 7 women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) and in 7 age and season matched normal cycling women in the early follicular phase (NC). While daytime melatonin concentrations were nondetectabe in both groups, the integrated nocturnal levels were 3-fold greater in HA (244 .+-. 58(SE) vs 74 .+-. 32 pmol-min/L .times. 103, p<0.005). This melatonin increase in HA was due to an elevated peak amplitude (p<0.01) and extended duration (p<0.05). The latter was mostly due to a significant delay in the offset time of the amplified nocturnal melatonin secretion.