Cycle In Premenopausal Women Research Articles

Increased surgery-induced metastasis and suppressed natural killer cell activity during proestrus/estrus in rats.

We have previously reported sex- and estrous-related differences in host resistance to the metastatic development of a mammary adenocarcinoma cell line, MADB106, in the Fischer 344 (F344) rat. In other studies, we found that surgery suppressed natural killer (NK) cell activity and increased the NK-sensitive metastatic development of MADB106 tumor cells. The current study was designed to explore whether sex or estrous phase at the time of surgery impacts the degree of such deleterious effects of surgery. Such estrous effects could be related to an ongoing clinical debate regarding the importance of the timing of breast cancer surgery with the menstrual cycle in premenopausal women. Mature F344 males and cycling females underwent either experimental laparotomy with halothane anesthesia, halothane anesthesia alone, or were untreated. Five hours after surgery, animals either were injected with radiolabeled MADB106 tumor cells and assessed for lung tumor cell retention 12 hours later, or underwent blood withdrawal for in vitro assessment of NK cell activity. MADB106 tumor cells metastasize only to the lungs, and lung tumor cell retention is: a) an early indicator of the number of metastases that would develop weeks later, and b) highly sensitive to in vivo levels of NK activity. This mammary adenocarcinoma cell line is syngeneic to the inbred F344 strain of rats used in our studies, thus constituting a model for breast cancer metastasis. The results indicated that sex, estrous phase, and surgery interacted in their effects on NK cell activity and tumor metastasis. MADB106 lung tumor cell retention was increased by surgery in both sexes (2- to 3-fold) compared to the anesthesia only and control groups. This increase, however, was significantly greater in proestrus/estrus (P/E) females than in metestrus/diestrus (M/D) females. Among the control animals, females in P/E exhibited significantly less NK cytotoxic activity compared to the males, and the NK activity exhibited by females in M/D was between these two groups. Surgery suppressed NK cytotoxic activity to a similar level in all groups. Possible implications of these findings for the surgical care of women with breast cancer are discussed.

Selective responses of hormones involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and properties of erythrocyte membranes during the menstrual cycle in premenopausal women consuming moderate amounts of alcohol

The effects of chronic consumption of moderate amounts of alcohol on hormones associated with lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, plasma concentrations of triacylglycerol and cholesterol, insulin receptors on erythrocyte membranes, and erythrocyte membrane fluidity were studied during three phases of the menstrual cycle in 37 premenopausal women. Subjects were given either 30 g ethanol or an equienergetic fruit juice for three menstrual cycles in a crossover design. Blood samples were analyzed during the luteal, midcycle, and follicular phases. Administration of alcohol induced a significant rise in plasma glucagon and cortisol uniformly across the entire menstrual cycle. A similar rise in plasma growth hormone was observed at midcycle during the period when subjects consumed alcohol. A marginal effect was observed on cholesterol and somatomedin C concentrations. Insulin binding to erythrocyte ghosts was not affected by either alcohol or menstrual-cycle phase. Erythrocyte membranes were more fluid during the follicular phase than during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle when the women were consuming the alcohol. There were no perceptible interactions between alcohol and phases of the menstrual cycle for the indexes studied, except membrane fluidity.

Possible variation in bone resorption during the normal menstrual cycle.

In order to determine whether bone turnover varies during the normal menstrual cycle, we measured biochemical markers of bone resorption (serum pyridinoline cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (sICTP), fasting urinary hydroxyproline/creatinine, fasting urinary pyridinoline/creatinine and fasting urinary deoxypyridinoline/creatinine) and bone formation (plasma osteocalcin, serum carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen and serum alkaline phosphatase) in ten healthy premenopausal women every two or three days for a complete menstrual cycle. A cyclic pattern was detected in sICTP, with its nadir during the follicular phase and its peak during the luteal phase, and an overall variation of 17% during the menstrual cycle (p = 0.004). No cyclic changes were observed in the urinary parameters of bone resorption or in the biochemical markers of bone formation. We conclude that sICTP, a new biochemical marker of bone resorption, undergoes small variations during a normal menstrual cycle in premenopausal women, whereas the biochemical markers of bone formation remain constant.

Fertility control through active immunization using placenta proteins.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that antibodies to placental proteins in a variety of species are capable of preventing or disrupting gestation. Early work in this area was primarily directed towards the passive immunization of rodents with heterologous antisera to whole placental extracts. Toxicity and renal damage often accompanied fertility inhibition. More recent studies reported less toxicity and a higher specificity of antibodies to reproductive function when anti-placental antibodies were absorbed with serum and extracts of non-reproductive organs. Few studies have been reported in which active immunization with placental proteins was employed. The most detailed studies of active immunization have employed highly purified placental hormones. Immunizations of rats and rabbits with human placental lactogen have resulted in marked reduction in reproductive function. Immunization of human females with chemically altered (hapten-coupled/ HCG resulted in the production of antibodies reacting with unaltered HCG and pituitary LH. These antibodies were capable of reducing the level of endogenous serum LH in pre- and post-menopausal women. The also altered the events of the menstrual cycle in premenopausal women. More specific inhibition of chorionic gonadotrophin has been obtained by immunization of baboons with the beta subunit of HCG. Antifertility effects without alterations in the menstrual cycle of female baboons immunized with the beta subunit of HCG have been reported. The antibodies produced in these animals reacted significantly with human LH in vitro. The possibility of using hormonal and non-hormonal placental proteins as antigens for the specific immunological inhibition of fertility remains.

Severe exacerbation of cancer of the breast after oöphorectomy and adrenalectomy: report of four cases.

THE recognition that the majority of breast cancers in premenopausal women and in many postmenopausal women are stimulated by estrogenic substances has become a basic guidepost in the treatment of patients with advanced carcinoma of the breast. The evidence for this assumption is to be found in clinical experience. Exacerbation of the disease shown by x-ray changes and urinary calcium excretion may be seen during the menstrual cycle in premenopausal women,1 or upon administration of estrogenic substances.2 The favorable response to ovariectomy confirms such a concept. Postmenopausal women with mammary cancers frequently have high urinary estrogen levels and may be . . .