allopregnenolone

This minireview will briefly outline the basic knowledge concerning the provenance, biological active constituents of ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba, L.) and its general health effects. Ginkgo has been shown to affect female reproductive functions: it can affect ovarian folliculo- and oogenesis, embryogenesis, promote ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis, reduce their proliferation and the release of ovarian hormones. Usually, ginkgo extract mainly suppresses, but its constituents like amifostine, leuprorelin, quercetin and kaempherol can promote ovarian functions...

BACKGROUND: To investigate neural-reproductive hormonal basis of liver yang rising (LYR), liver qi stagnation (LQS) premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and to develop standardized diagnostic criteria for PMS. METHODS: HPLC, HPLC-MC, ELISA and radioimmunoassay were used to compare levels of serum hormones, plasma neurotransmitters and neurosteroids between LYR PMS patients, LQS PMS patients and healthy controls (30 subjects in each group). RESULTS: Of the measures, all three groups exhibited no significant differences during the follicular phase...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the pathogenesis of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and the correlation between anger and depression and PMS of Gan-yang ascending syndrome (GYAS) and Gan-qi stagnation syndrome (GQSS) by detecting the neuro-reproductive hormones of PMS patients of GYAS and GOSS, thus providing theoretical reliance for diagnostic standards for clinical normative PMS. METHODS: Using techniques such as HPLC, HPLC-MC, ELISA, and radioimmunoassay (RIA), levels of serum sex hormones (follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and prolactin), plasma neurotransmitters (gamma-aminobutyric acid, beta-endorphin, glutamic acid, dopamine, 5-HT, adrenaline, and noradrenaline), neurosteroids (allopregnenolone, pregnenolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone) in the follicular phase and the luteal phase of PMS patients of GYAS (30 cases) and GQSS (30 cases) were detected, and compared with the healthy control group (30 cases)...

Acute stress may be experienced in response to an immediate physical, emotional or psychological stimulus. Stress is known to promote long-term changes in multiple neural systems. Present study was conducted with an aim to elucidate the possible role of GABAergic system in the protective effect of allopregnenolone against immobilization stress induced behavioral and biochemical alterations. Mice were immobilized for periods of 6 h. Animals were divided into different groups, consisting of six in each. Various behavioral tests (mirror chamber, actophotometer) followed by oxidative parameters (malondialdehyde level, glutathione, catalase, nitrite and protein) were assessed in animals...

AIM: To simultaneously determine three unconjugated neurosteroids, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) , pregnenolone (PREG), allopregnenolone (AP), from several brain regions of the rat. METHODS: Neurosteroids were isolated separately in a two steps procedure by using ethyl acetate-n-hexane (90:10) as the first step to extract the unconjugated steroids, then the steroid fractions were further purified by SPE. All steroids were derivatized with 2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylphenylhydrazine (2-NFPH) and analyzed by HPLC-MS ( APCI) using selected-ion monitoring...

Interactions exist between progestins and the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor subtype A where C(21)-steroids function as activators. Other interactions between progesterone and neurotransmitter systems include stimulation of dopamine release in striatal tissue, stimulation of GnRH release from hypothalamic neurons and inhibition of opioid receptor binding and activation. Cyproterone acetate increases dopaminergic responses and binds to opiate receptors independently of its classical effect on the androgen receptor...

OBJECTIVES: Increased plasma levels of allopregnenolone (3alpha,5alpha-tetrahydroprogesterone [3alpha,5alpha-THP]), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and DHEA sulphate (DHEA-S) have been reported in patients with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. To assess whether those changes are related to malnutrition, we investigated plasma levels of neuroactive steroids in women with binge eating disorder (BED) who compulsively binge as bulimic patients, but do not incur malnutrition. METHODS: Sixty-eight women participated in the study (31 nonobese healthy controls, 9 nonobese patients with BED, 16 obese patients with BED, and 12 obese non-binge eating women)...

1. The effects of allopregnenolone, a neurosteroid, endowed with GABAmimetic properties, were tested towards two models of irreversible hippocampal neurotoxicity: i) the irreversible depression produced by hypoxia on the CA1 evoked field potentials in rat hippocampal slices, and ii) glutamate-induced irreversible changes in intracellular calcium concentration in primary hippocampal cell coltures. 2. In control conditions during the reoxygenation period after the application of 15 min of hypoxia, the CA1 evoked field potentials were irreversibly suppressed in almost the 50% of the experiments...

The adrenal production of the delta 5-androgens, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate ester dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), declines linearly with aging. The evidence that DHEA or DHEAS administration may alleviate some of the problems related to aging has opened new perspectives for clinical research. The present study aims to investigate the effects of a 6-month DHEA supplementation in early and late postmenopausal women, with normal or overweight body mass index (BMI), on the level of circulating steroids, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), beta-endorphin and gonadotropins, and on the adrenal gland response to dexamethasone suppression and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation...