Psychoneuroendocrinology
Volume 28, Issue 1 , Pages 101-112, January 2003

Effects of long-term estrogen replacement therapy on growth hormone response to pyridostigmine in healthy postmenopausal women

  • T van Amelsvoort

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Present address: Department of Psychiarty, Academic Medical Centre, Tafelbergweg 25, Amsterdam 1105 BC, Holland. Tel.: +31-205667268; fax: +31-206919139
    • ,
  • D.G.M Murphy

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
    • ,
  • D Robertson

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
    • ,
  • E Daly

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
    • ,
  • M Whitehead

      Affiliations

    • The Menopause Clinic (MW), King’s College Hospital, London, UK
    • ,
  • K Abel

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

Received 17 August 2001; received in revised form 19 December 2001; accepted 11 January 2002.

Abstract 

Objective: There is growing evidence that estrogen may protect against age-related cognitive decline and reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in healthy, postmenopausal women. The underlying biological basis for this is not known but may include preservation of cholinergic systems. Cholinergic dysfunction has been implicated in the aetiology of age-related memory impairment and AD. We studied the effect of prolonged use of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) on central cholinergic tone in healthy postmenopausal women.

Method: Growth hormone (GH) responses to oral pyridostigmine (120 mg) were measured over a 3 h period in thirty healthy postmenopausal women, 15 on long-term ERT and 15 ERT naïve.

Results: GH release following pyridostigmine was significantly larger in ERT treated women than in ERT naïve women. In addition within the ERT treated group there was a significant positive correlation between duration of estrogen treatment and GH response.

Conclusions: Long-term ERT can enhance cholinergic function in postmenopausal women and this may be related to duration of estrogen treatment. Modulation of central cholinergic function may be one mechanism by which long-term ERT could preserve cognitive function in healthy, postmenopausal women.

Keywords:  Pyridostigmine, Estrogen, Menopause, Acetylcholine, Growth hormone, Women

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PII: S0306-4530(02)00012-4

Psychoneuroendocrinology
Volume 28, Issue 1 , Pages 101-112, January 2003

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