Evaluating sex hormones and cytokine profile in Egyptian females with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Effects of Aerobic Training on Sex Hormones in A Cuprizone Rat Model of Multiple Sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Central nervous system damage in multiple sclerosis (MS) leads to severe physical disability and neurological defects. Sexual dysfunction and infertility in patients with MS have often been neglected in previous studies. Aerobic exercise is suggested to improve circulating testosterone levels and sexual function. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise on sex hormone levels in a cuprizone rat model of MS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this experimental study, 30 male rats (aged 70 days, 154.55 ± 18.1 g) were randomly divided into five groups: MS, exercise-MS (EX-MS), MS-EX, EX-MS-EX, and normal control (control). MS was induced by feeding cuprizone pellets (0.2%) to the rats for six weeks. The exercise groups performed an aerobic exercise protocol on a treadmill five days/week for six weeks before and during the induction of the MS model. Serum testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinising hormone (LH) levels were measured using the ELISA method with standard kits (ZellBio Germany). Luxol fast blue staining (LFB) of the corpora collosa were performed.

RESULTS

The results showed a significant decrease in the serum levels of testosterone, FSH, and LH in the MS groups compared to the control group (P<0.05). There was a significant increase in the serum levels of testosterone, FSH, and LH in the EX-MS-EX, and EX-MS groups compared to the MS group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Aerobic exercise could improve the level of sex hormones in the cuprizone rat model of MS and may be used to attenuate sexual dysfunction in patients with MS.

Menopause in women with multiple sclerosis: A systematic review

AIM

Sex hormones have been suggested to have neuroprotective effects in the natural history of multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly in animal studies. The aim of the present review was to retrieve and systematically synthesize the evidence on the effect of menopause and hormonal replacement treatment (HRT) on the course of MS.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted in the databases MEDLINE (accessed through PubMed), Scopus, clinicaltrials.gov and Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials (CENTRAL). Eligible studies were all those that included women with MS and reported on at least one of the following: a) disability and MS relapse rate before and after menopause, b) serum sex hormone concentrations, c) sexual function, d) age at menopause onset. Effects of HRT on MS clinical outcomes were also assessed.

RESULTS

Of the 4,102 retrieved studies, 28 were included in the systematic review. Of these, one reported the age at menopause for both controls and women with MS and found no difference between the two groups. There was no difference in the rates of relapse before and after menopause (risk ratio 1.21, 95 % confidence interval 0.91-1.61, p = 0.218). Two intervention studies reported beneficial effects of estrogen therapy on women with MS; however, the majority of women were premenopausal. Three studies addressed the issue of sexual dysfunction in women with MS, but information on hormonal parameters was limited.

CONCLUSIONS

The age at menopause is not associated with the presence of MS. The evidence on a potential causal effect of estrogen depletion on disability is inconclusive; still, relapse rate seems not be associated with menopause. The effect of HRT on the natural course of the disease remains to be defined.