Rhythm-adjusted age effects in a concomitant study of twelve hormones in blood plasma of women

Effects of testosterone on circadian rhythmicity in old mice

Serum testosterone concentration decreases with age in humans and rodents. Accordingly, old male mice show changes in locomotor activity rhythms: a lengthened free-running period and decreased activity levels among others. To investigate whether testosterone replacement improves the age-related decline in circadian rhythmicity, we examined the effects of testosterone on the circadian rhythms of wheel running activity in old male mice. Intact male C57BL/6J mice (18-22 months old) were subcutaneously implanted with silicone tubes packed with testosterone propionate (TP) or cholesterol. TP treatment significantly decreased the daily wheel running revolutions in a normal light/dark (LD) cycle and in constant darkness (DD), but did not affect the free-running period. The same experiment performed on young male gonadectomized mice (3-5 months old) demonstrated that TP treatment significantly increased activity levels in both LD and DD. These results suggest that testosterone replacement exacerbates the age-related decline in circadian rhythmicity.

Prolactin and sex steroids levels in congenital lifetime isolated GH deficiency

Growth hormone (GH) and prolactin share similarities in structure and function. We have previously shown that women with congenital isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) caused by a homozygous mutation in the GHRH receptor gene (GHRHR) (MUT/MUT) have a short reproductive life, with anticipated climacteric. At climacteric, they have lower prolactin levels than normal controls (N/N). Because they are able to breast feed, we hypothesized that this prolactin reduction is limited to climacteric, as result of lower estradiol exposure of the lactotrophs. The purposes of this work were to assess prolactin levels in broader age adults homozygous and heterozygous (MUT/N) for the mutation and in normal controls (N/N), and to correlate them to sex steroids levels. We enrolled 24 GH-naïve MUT/MUT (12 female), 25 MUT/N (14 female), and 25 N/N (11 female) subjects, aged 25-65 years. Anthropometric data and serum prolactin, estradiol, total testosterone, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured. Free testosterone was calculated. Prolactin levels were similar in the three groups. In males, testosterone and SHBG levels were higher in MUT/MUT in comparison to N/N. There was no difference in free testosterone among groups. In all 74 individuals, prolactin correlated inversely with age (p < 0.0001) and directly with serum estradiol (p = 0.018). Prolactin levels in subjects with IGHD due to a homozygous GHRHR mutation are similar to heterozygous and normal homozygous, but total testosterone and SHBG are higher in male MUT/MUT, with no difference in free testosterone. The reduced prolactin level is limited to climacteric period, possibly due to reduced estrogen exposure.

Chronopharmacology of furosemide in the elderly

The authors have previously reported the time-dependent change in the diuretic effects of furosemide, a loop diuretic agent, in young and middle-aged subjects. The current study was undertaken to examine an influence of aging on this chronopharmacologic phenomenon. Ten milligrams furosemide was given intravenously to 12 elderly subjects (greater than 70 years of age) at 9:00 AM (day trial) or at 9:00 PM (night trial) by a cross-over design. One-hour urine samples were collected for 3 hours after each administration, and urine volume and urinary excretions of sodium and furosemide were determined. Urine volume and urinary sodium excretion increased after furosemide administration. Contrary to the findings in the young and middle-aged subjects, no significant differences were observed in these parameters at any observation period between the day and night trials in the elderly subjects. Urinary furosemide excretion of the day and night trials did not significantly differ. These results suggest that the chronopharmacologic profiles of furosemide are altered in the elderly.

The circadian rhythm of atrial natriuretic peptide, vasoactive intestinal peptide, beta-endorphin and cortisol in healthy young and elderly subjects

Atrial natriuretic peptide, vasoactive intestinal peptide, beta-endorphin and cortisol are humoral variables characterized by a 24-h periodicity. We evaluated the circadian rhythm of these peptides and hormones in healthy subjects who were young (between 20-25 years) or elderly (between 65-75 years). All were on controlled diets. Blood samples were collected six times during a 24-h period (at 06.00, 08.00, 12.00, 18.00, 20.00 and 24.00 h) beginning 8-h after start of recumbency. The time-related data were analysed by the Cosinor method in order to validate the circadian rhythm and to quantify rhythmometric parameters which included the midline estimate of rhythm (mesor). In contrast to the young subjects, Cosinor analysis failed to reveal a significant circadian rhythm in elderly subjects, for plasma cortisol. In elderly subjects oscillation (mesor) of atrial nutriuretic peptide was higher, while that of vasoactive intestinal peptide and beta-endorphins was lower. The results suggest changes in the physiological secretion of these three peptides in healthy elderly subjects.

Temporal correlation of some endocrine circadian rhythms in elderly subjects

The aim of this chronobiological study was to investigate temporal correlations in the circadian patterns of 6 hormones, namely somatotrophic hormone (STH), prolactin (PRL), cortisol (F), aldosterone (ALD), insulin (IRI) and C-peptide (CP), assayed in systemic blood serum drawn at 07:00, 10:00, 13:00, 16:00, 19:00 and 22:00 h from an antecubital vein in 19 young subjects (aged 20-29 yr, comprising 10 males and 9 females; and 20 elderly subjects (aged 70-81 yr, comprising 10 males and 10 females). All subjects were sampled on a normal dietary sodium intake (120-140 mEq/24h) while following a social routine of diurnal activity (07:00-23:00) and nocturnal rest (23:00-07:00). Time-qualified data were analyzed by lead-lag correlation and by cosinor analysis. According to the lead-lag correlation findings, it would appear that the correlation which exists between several time-qualified series in young subjects is no longer present in elderly subjects. The circadian rhythms which were found to have lost their temporal correlations with advancing age were those between STH and IRI, STH and ALD, PRL and IRI, PRL and CP, and ALD and CP. It should be noted that the correlation between hormonal rhythms breaks down mainly on account of a peculiar age-related change in the magnitude of the circadian fluctuation. This chronological decline in amplitude led to the conclusion that the senescence of endocrine rhythmic functions is a biological phenomenon characterized by altered circadian variability.

Effect of normal aging on the prolactin response to graded doses of sulpiride and to arginine

The prolactin (PRL) response to placebo, sulpiride (2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mg im) and arginine HC1 infusion (0.33G/kg) was examined in young (18-25 yrs) and old (65-75 yrs) normal men. Analysis of variance for the sulpiride data showed no significant dose x age group interaction or dose X age group X period interaction. There was, however, a significant age group X period interaction (p less than 0.05). PRL concentrations were significantly lower in the old subjects (N = 9) compared with the young (N = 9) 15 min after 2.5, 5, or 10 mg but not significantly after 20 mg sulpiride or at any other time interval. The areas under the concentration-time curves and the mean individual peak PRL concentrations were not significantly different between the two groups. The pattern of findings suggests a delayed absorption of sulpiride in the elderly rather than a change in pituitary dopamine (DA) receptor sensitivity to account for the lower PRL concentrations at 15 min. Differences in magnitude of the PRL response between the four doses of sulpiride were small and results suggest that the 2.5 mg dose is close to that required to saturate DA receptors on the lactotrophe and that the 10 and 20 mg doses are sufficient to completely block pituitary DA receptors. There was no significant age effect on arginine-induced PRL secretion (N = 11 in each group).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Circadian and circannual rhythms of hormonal variables in elderly men and women

A group of fourteen men (73 +/- 5 yr of age), and eighteen women (77 +/- 7 yr of age) institutionalized at the Berceni Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, were studied over a 24-hr span once during each season (winter, spring, summer and fall). All subjects followed a diurnal activity pattern with rest at night and ate three meals per day with breakfast at about 0830, lunch at about 1300 and dinner at about 1830. The meals were similar, although not identical for all subjects during all seasons. On each day of sampling blood was collected at 4-hr intervals over a 24-hr span. Seventeen hormonal variables were determined by radioimmunoassay. Statistically significant circadian rhythms were detected and quantitated by population mean cosinor analysis in pooled data from all four seasons in both sexes for ACTH, aldosterone, cortisol, C-peptide, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), immunoreactive insulin, prolactin, 17-OH progesterone, testosterone, total T4 and TSH. In women, estradiol and progesterone also were determined and showed a circadian rhythm during all seasons. Total T3 and FSH showed circadian rhythm detection by cosinor analysis in the men only; LH showed no consistent circadian rhythm as group phenomenon in men or women. A circannual rhythm was detected using the circadian means of each subject at each season as input for the population mean cosinor in the women for ACTH, C-peptide, DHEA-S, FSH, LH, progesterone, 17-OH progesterone and TSH. In the men, a circannual rhythm was detected for ACTH, FSH, insulin, LH, testosterone and T3. There were phase differences between men and women in ACTH, FSH and LH. In those functions in which both the circadian and circannual rhythms were statistically significant, a comparison of the amplitudes showed in the women a higher circannual rather than circadian amplitude for DHEA-S. In 17-OH progesterone, TSH and C-peptide, the circadian amplitude in women was larger. In men, the circannual amplitude of T3 was larger than the circadian amplitude and in insulin the circadian amplitude was larger than the circannual amplitude. There was no statistically significant difference between the circadian and circannual amplitudes in the women in ACTH and progesterone and in the men in ACTH and testosterone.

Changes in plasma sodium concentration in women at the menopause

A significant increase in the mean plasma sodium concentration and in the fasting urinary Na/Cr ratio was observed in healthy women at the menopause. Both of these changes were reversed by administering oestrogens. None of the above effects appeared to be due to alterations in sodium intake or in renal glomerular function. The most likely cause of the increase in plasma sodium concentration at the menopause appeared to be a decrease in plasma volume since there were also significant increases in the mean plasma albumin and total protein concentrations.

Circadian as well as circannual rhythms of circulating aldosterone have decreased amplitude in aging women

Age differences in the characteristics of the circadian rhythm in circulating radioimmunoassayable aldosterone were studied on nine 20 to 26 year-old and ten 70 to 78 year-old women and ten 23 to 26 year old and ten 70 to 80 year old men in Würzburg, West Germany. These diurnally active-nocturnally resting subjects were sampled every 3 hours for 15 hours. A classical analysis of variance and a multivariate analysis of rhythm characteristics revealed major effects of age exerted on the circadian aldosterone amplitude in women (p = 0.003) but not in concomitantly sampled men. These observations complement the study of circadian and circannual rhythms in 8 young adults (15-21 years), 10 mature adults (29-36 years) and 10 post-menopausal (44-59 years) North American women, sampled at 100 minute intervals for 24 hours, once in each season, and document that the adrenocortical aldosterone-producing system remains rhythmic with at least two frequencies up to the late decades of human life, although in women it may be characterized by a reduction in the extent of spectral change after 70 years of age.

Effect of ageing on circadian rhythms of plasma renin and aldosterone in mesor-hypertensive women

This study investigated the changes in circadian rhythms of plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma aldosterone (PA) which occur in essential mesor-hypertensive women, increasing in age. Systemic blood samples were taken throughout a 12 h period from both mesor-hypertensive women and clinically healthy women (control). The women in each group were either post-menopausal or had normal menstrual cycles. A cosinor method of temporal series was the analysis employed to compute the properties of PRA and PA circadian rhythms. The clearest effect of ageing, recorded in essential mesor-hypertensive women, is a decrease in circadian mesor of PRA cycle (P = 0.002). The age-related changes in clinically healthy women appear to be more extensive and involve a decrease for both mesor (P less than 0.001) and amplitude (P = 0.007) of PRA circadian rhythm. These disparities are convincing evidence for a non-physiological decline of the RAAS rhythmic function in the aged essential mesor-hypertensive women. The lack of an age-associated decrease in circadian PRA amplitude merits and pathophysiological and clinical investigation because it is a possible risk factor for post-menopausal, essential mesor-hypertensive women.

Ageing and circadian rhythm of plasma renin and aldosterone

Five men and 8 women, 60-69 yr of age, and 4 men and 5 women, 17-37 yr of age, volunteered for this exploration of possible age-related changes in circadian-rhythm (CR) characteristics of radioimmunoassayable plasma renin (PRA) and aldosterone (PA). Blood was drawn at 06.00, 08.00, 12.00, 18.00, 20.00 and 24.00 from recumbent subjects on a habitual sodium intake of 120-140 mEq/24 h. Time-qualified data of PRA and PA, fitted by a 24-h cosine curve, were summarized by a population mean-cosinor method. Circadian characteristics were compared by a multivariate analysis using Hotelling's t2 test. Rhythmometry reveals in the elderly women a lower mesor (P less than 0.001) and amplitude (P = 0.036) of the CR in PRA and a higher mesor and amplitude (P = 0.021 and P = 0.020, respectively) of the PA-CR. The PRA acrophase is delayed (P less than 0.001) in the elderly women (04.40 vs. 08.04) while the timing of the PA acrophase is similar in the age groups of women compared (05.52 vs. 05.20). These differences found in women were not observed in the smaller groups of men. The seventh decade of life may be characterized by an internal circadian desynchronization between the major components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. A sex-dependent amplification of the extent of circadian variation in aldosterone may precede a decrease in the circadian amplitude occurring during the eighth decade of life, as a sign of the adrenopause in women.