THE ROLE OF GONADAL STEROIDS IN REGULATING CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS

大量文献表明，雌激素、孕酮和 睾丸激素在昼夜节律中起重要的调节作用， 仓鼠和老鼠。 然而，这一领域几乎没有得到系统的 注意人类。 此外，虽然睡眠障碍是其中一个 绝经期和绝经后妇女最常见的主诉， 关于性腺功能减退状态或激素替代的影响， 睡吧 本实验旨在研究昼夜节律， 男性和女性志愿者在睡眠控制下睡眠 荷尔蒙失调 正常志愿者用亮丙瑞林治疗 醋酸盐（Lupron），一种促性腺激素释放激素（GnRH）激动剂， 抑制促性腺激素和性腺类固醇的内源性分泌。 然后规定激素替代，以便女性受试者可以 在三种激素条件下（性腺功能减退，雌激素， 孕酮），而男性则在两个（性腺功能减退，睾酮）中进行研究。 在每一种激素条件下，我们研究受试者的昼夜节律和睡眠 使用睡眠日志，手腕活动监测器，直肠温度监测器， 睡眠脑电图，和一个恒定的例行程序，在此期间，血浆水平的 测量褪黑激素、TSH和催乳素。 十名男性完成了这项研究，结果表明， 催乳素水平下降，第4阶段睡眠的时间和百分比下降 在性腺功能减退的状态下，与睾酮替代相比。 在 此外，夜间温度有延长的趋势， 谷，减少REM潜伏期，并增加时间和百分比 在性腺功能减退状态下的第三阶段睡眠。 在男性中， 两者之间褪黑激素或TSH分泌谱的差异 荷尔蒙失调 六名妇女完成了这项研究，更多的是 被招募。 初步结果显示， 性腺功能减退状态下夜间褪黑激素分泌的幅度。

An extensive body of literature indicates that estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone play important regulatory roles in the circadian rhythms of hamsters and rats. However, this area has received little systematic attention in humans. In addition, while sleep disturbance is one of the most common complaints of peri- and post-menopausal women, little is known about the effects of the hypogonadal state, or of hormone replacement, on sleep. This experiment is designed to study the circadian rhythms and sleep of male and female volunteers under pharmacologically controlled hormonal conditions. Normal volunteers are treated with Leuprolide acetate (Lupron), a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist that suppresses the endogenous secretion of gonadotropins and gonadal steroids. Hormone replacement is then prescribed, so that female subjects can be studied in three hormonal conditions (hypogonadal, estrogen, progesterone), while men are studied in two (hypogonadal, testosterone). In each hormonal condition, we study subjects' circadian rhythms and sleep using sleep logs, wrist activity monitors, rectal temperature monitors, sleep EEG, and a constant routine procedure during which plasma levels of melatonin, TSH, and prolactin are measured. Ten men have completed the study, and results indicate significant decreases in prolactin levels and in the time and percent of stage 4 sleep in the hypogonadal state, compared with testosterone replacement. In addition, there are trends toward a prolonged nocturnal temperature trough, decreased REM latency, and an increase in the time and percentage of stage 3 sleep in the hypogonadal state. In men, there are no differences in the profiles of melatonin or TSH secretion between the two hormonal conditions. Six women have completed the study, and more are being recruited. Preliminary results show a significant increase in the amplitude of nocturnal melatonin secretion in the hypogonadal state.