Treatment of menopausal symptoms: concomitant modification of cortisol

Chronic stress, social support, and symptoms at midlife. Is there a buffering effect?

OBJECTIVES

This study was designed to examine associations among measures of stress, social support, and symptoms at midlife. Specifically, the study examined whether support buffered against the negative effects of stress on severity of symptoms grouped via factor analyses into emotional instability, vaso-somatic symptoms, mood disturbances, and aches and pains.

METHODS

We used cross-sectional data from n = 119 women aged 40-55 in Nagaland, India. Midlife symptoms were measured with the help of questionnaires, and factor analysis was used to identify latent factors. Stress and social support were measured by Perceived Stress Scale and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, respectively. Chronic stress was measured by fingernail cortisol.

RESULTS

After adjusting for menopausal status, tobacco use, body mass index, and socioeconomic status, cortisol level was positively associated with emotional instability (p < 0.01), vaso-somatic symptom score (p < 0.05), and total symptoms at midlife (p < 0.05). Familial support was negatively associated with emotional instability (p < 0.05) and total symptoms at midlife (p < 0.05). However, no significant associations were observed with spousal or friend support. Although no significant interactions between stress, social support, and symptoms at midlife were observed, spousal support when stratified as high and low support using the means, perceived stress and vaso-somatic symptoms indicated an interaction.

CONCLUSION

Cortisol level and support from family were independently associated with symptoms at midlife. The study highlights the importance of family ties and support for navigating the stressors of everyday life among women in Nagaland.

LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of cortisol of hepatocellular carcinoma

The imbalance of steroid hormones is closely related to the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, most research has focused on steroid hormone receptors, and reports about the relationship between the serum concentration of cortisol and the development of HCC are rare. The aim of this research was to establish a simple, specific, sensitive and reliable liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the quantitation of cortisol in human serum and to compare the level of cortisol in serum between 221 HCC patients and 183 healthy volunteers. The results showed that the correlation coefficients of the linear regression with a weighing factor of 1/x2 ranged from 0.9933 to 0.9984 over the range of 2-1,000 ng/ml. The inter- and intra-day precision and accuracy were <10%. The matrix effect and recovery of cortisol were 94.9-102.5% and 96.3-99.8%, respectively. The concentration of cortisol in HCC patients was significantly higher than that in healthy volunteers (p < 0.05) and was not affected by sex, age, menopause or α-fetoprotein (AFP) level. The present study reveals that elevated cortisol might promote the progression of HCC.

Integrated traditional herbal medicine for recurrent urinary tract infection treatment and follow-up: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) with pathogenic strain resistance leading to a high recurrence rate affect health quality and have become a high-priority issue due to the economic burden on the health care system.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to investigate the supportive benefits of traditional herbal medicines (THMs) for the treatment and prevention of recurrent UTIs through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Systematic searches of databases, including PubMed/Medline, the Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), were conducted to collect eligible studies for meta-analysis. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials that investigated UTI recurrence using THM treatment.

RESULTS

The results of 22 studies showed that THM treatment led to significantly fewer UTI events in the experimental group than in the control group (OR = 0.348; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.257 to 0.473; p < 0.001). Seventeen studies reported UTI events during the follow-up period, and the recurrence rate was lower in the experimental group than in the control group (OR, 0.326; 95% CI, 0.245-0.434; p < 0.01). Subgroup analysis further showed that compared to antibiotics alone, treatment with THM plus antibiotics significantly reduced UTI events in the acute phase (OR = 0.301; 95% CI = 0.201 to 0.431; p < 0.001) as well as in the follow-up period (OR = 0.347; 95% CI = 0.241 to 0.498; p < 0.001). However, THM treatment alone was not superior to antibiotics in the acute treatment phase (OR = 0.540; 95% CI = 0.250 to 1.166; p = 0.117) or in the follow-up period (OR = 0.464; 95% CI = 0.111 to 1.951; p = 0.295). Herbal ingredients for recurrent UTI events also showed benefits compared to placebo treatment in the acute phase (OR = 0.337; 95% CI = 0.158 to 0.717; p = 0.005) and during follow-up (OR = 0.238; 95% CI = 0.139 to 0.409; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

THM combined with antibiotics is helpful for people with acute UTIs and for reinfection prevention. THMs alone, although less effective for recurrent UTIs, could be considered a therapeutic alternative to antibiotics.

The Use of Nigella sativa in Cardiometabolic Diseases

Nigella sativa L. is an herb that is commonly used in cooking and in traditional medicine, particularly in Arab countries, the Indian subcontinent, and some areas of eastern Europe. Nigella sativa is also called "black cumin" or "black seeds", as the seeds are the most-used part of the plant. They contain the main bioactive component thymoquinone (TQ), which is responsible for the pleiotropic pharmacological properties of the seeds, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-hepatotoxic, hypoglycemic, and lipid-lowering properties. In this narrative review, both the potential mechanisms of action of Nigella sativa and the fundamental role played by pharmaceutical technology in optimizing preparations based on this herb in terms of yield, quality, and effectiveness have been outlined. Moreover, an analysis of the market of products containing Nigella sativa was carried out based on the current literature with an international perspective, along with a specific focus on Italy.

Midlife symptoms and household stress are associated with fingernail cortisol

OBJECTIVE

This study investigates menopausal symptoms, household stressors, and ethnopolitical problems in relation to stress markers, including chronic stress measured by fingernail cortisol, perceived stress measured by the Perceived Stress Scale, and acute stress measured by blood pressure.

METHODS

Data from 151 women aged 40 to 55 years were collected from four regions in Nagaland, India, using opportunity sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic and lifestyle variables. Symptoms were grouped into emotional instability, vasosomatic symptoms, mood disturbances, and aches and pains using principal component analysis in a previous study, and stress markers included fingernail cortisol, perceived stress, and blood pressure. Community-level, household-level, and midlife symptoms were included to ascertain stressors from different sources.

RESULTS

Our results revealed a significant positive association between a composite measure of emotional instability and stress assessed by fingernail cortisol ( β = 0.46, P < 0.001). In addition, there was a positive association between mood disturbances and fingernail cortisol ( β = 0.24, P < 0.05). This relationship persisted after controlling for body mass index, socioeconomic status, and menopausal status. In addition, household problems were positively associated with fingernail cortisol ( β = 0.25, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the potential health impacts of the psychosocial stress response associated with domestic stressors such as financial strain and concerns about children and health.

Sex differences in pituitary corticotroph excitability

Stress-related illness represents a major burden on health and society. Sex differences in stress-related disorders are well documented, with women having twice the lifetime rate of depression compared to men and most anxiety disorders. Anterior pituitary corticotrophs are central components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, receiving input from hypothalamic neuropeptides corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), while regulating glucocorticoid output from the adrenal cortex. The dynamic control of electrical excitability by CRH/AVP and glucocorticoids is critical for corticotroph function; however, whether corticotrophs contribute to sexually differential responses of the HPA axis, which might underlie differences in stress-related disorders, is very poorly understood. Using perforated patch clamp electrophysiology in corticotrophs from mice expressing green fluorescent protein under the control of the Pomc promoter, we characterized basal and secretagogue-evoked excitability. Both male and female corticotrophs show predominantly single-spike action potentials under basal conditions; however, males predominantly display spikes with small-amplitude (<20 mV) afterhyperpolarizations (B-type), whereas females displayed a mixture of B-type spikes and spikes with a large-amplitude (>25 mV) afterhyperpolarization (A-type). In response to CRH, or CRH/AVP, male cells almost exclusively transition to a predominantly pseudo-plateau bursting, whereas only female B-type cells display bursting in response to CRH±AVP. Treatment of male or female corticotrophs with 1 nM estradiol (E2) for 24-72 h has no effect on the proportion of cells with A- or B-type spikes in either sex. However, E2 results in the cessation of CRH-induced bursting in both male and female corticotrophs, which can be partially reversed by adding a BK current using a dynamic clamp. RNA-seq analysis of purified corticotrophs reveals extensive differential gene expression at the transcriptional level, including more than 71 mRNAs encoding ion channel subunits. Interestingly, there is a two-fold lower level (p < 0.01) of BK channel pore-forming subunit (Kcnma1) expression in females compared to males, which may partially explain the decrease in CRH-induced bursting. This study identified sex differences at the level of the anterior pituitary corticotroph ion channel landscape and control of both spontaneous and CRH-evoked excitability. Determining the mechanisms of sex differences of corticotroph and HPA activity at the cellular level could be an important step for better understanding, diagnosing, and treating stress-related disorders.

Effect of external sleep disturbance on sleep architecture in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to use external sleep disturbance as a model to evaluate sleep architecture in climacteric women before and after menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).

METHODS

Seventeen perimenopausal and 18 postmenopausal women underwent a polysomnography protocol: an adaptation night, a reference night and a sleep disturbance night with one hand loosely tied to the bed for blood sampling. The sleep architecture of the reference and disturbance nights were compared. The 24-h urinary free cortisol concentration (UFC) was measured. The procedure was repeated after 6 months on MHT or placebo.

RESULTS

Fifteen perimenopausal and 17 postmenopausal women completed the study. The perimenopausal and postmenopausal groups were combined. During external sleep disturbance, sleep was shorter and more fragmented; with less stage 2, slow-wave and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and more wake time and awakenings, both at baseline and after the treatment period. Compared to the placebo group, sleep disturbance was minor for women on MHT: sleep was not shortened and the amount of slow-wave sleep did not decrease. Increased 24-h UFC was observed only during MHT.

CONCLUSIONS

Sleep in climacteric women is easily disturbed, leading to shorter and more fragmented sleep with less deep sleep and REM sleep. Six months of MHT attenuates the observed sleep disturbance.

Global hotspots and prospects of perimenopausal depression: A bibliometric analysis via CiteSpace

BACKGROUND

Perimenopausal depression (PMD) is characterized by affective symptoms as well as menopause-specific somatic complaints and has attracted increasing attention over the past few decades. Using a bibliometric tool, this study aims to evaluate the origin, current hotspots, and research trends on PMD.

METHODS

Articles with research on PMD were retrieved from Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). We used the bibliometric method to analyze publication years, journals, countries, institutions, authors, research hotspots, and trends. We plotted the reference co-citation network and used keywords to analyze the research hotspots and trends.

RESULTS

A total of 209 publications related to PMD were identified from WoSCC on May 8, 2022. The number of publications concerning PMD every year shows an upward trend. Further analysis indicated that 209 articles were contributed by 45 countries, 288 institutions, and 501 authors. The United States contributed the most significant number of publications, followed by China. Harvard University is the core institution of PMD research, and Cohen's work has had an important impact on another research. The occurrence and pathological mechanisms of depression during the menopausal transition from the knowledge base of PMD. All of them belong to the category of gynecology and psychosis, which reflects the focus of the research topics. Major depression, postmenopausal women, symptoms like hot flashes, and prevalence and risk factors are research hotspots in the PMD field. The frontiers in PMD field that will impact future research are anxiety, meta-analysis, association, and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II).

CONCLUSION

These findings provide us with the core countries, institutions, and authors in PMD research and point out the direction of attention in this field. The current research focuses on depression, postmenopausal women, hot flashes, and other symptoms, as well as the prevalence and risk factors. The frontiers will be anxiety, meta-analysis, related factors, and depression assessment in future research.