Neuroendocrine regulation in depressed postmenopausal women and healthy subjects

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Results from prior studies utilizing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in affective illness have been contradictory. There have been no systematic investigations of multiple pituitary hormonal responses to GnRH infusion in either depressed or healthy postmenopausal women. Potential abnormalities in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis may be limited to postmenopausal women who lack the estradiol feedback influence at the pituitary level. Depressed (18) and healthy (9) postmenopausal women were studied with the GnRH infusion test and measured LH [luteinizing hormone], FSH, prolactin, growth hormone and thyrotropin responses. Earlier reports of a lower basal LH concentration in postmenopausal depressed subjects were confirmed. GnRH stimulated release of LH, FSH and prolactin in both patients and controls; there were no differences in the mean peak hormone values between groups.