Hormonal replacement therapy, but not clonidine, restored the response of plasma CGRP to upright posture and plasma ANP to saline infusion in postmenopausal women (P<0.01).
Does hormonal replacement therapy or clonidine improve the response of plasma CGRP and ANP to upright posture and saline infusion tests in postmenopausal women?
Hormonal replacement therapy, but not clonidine, restores the adaptive responses of CGRP and ANP to postural changes and saline infusion in postmenopausal women.
valor p: p=<0.01
OBJECTIVE: Menopause is associated with critical changes in the cardiovascular system, and the possible effect of hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) on these changes is under investigation. The aim of our study was to evaluate in postmenopausal women the effects of HRT and clonidine on the response of plasma calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) to the upright posture test and the saline infusion test respectively. METHODS: CGRP and ANP levels were measured with specific radioimmunological assays and expressed in pmol/l (means +/- S.E.M). DESIGN: Postmenopausal women (age 46-53 years) (n = 18) were studied before and after 3 months of HRT (n = 13) or clonidine treatment (n = 5). RESULTS: After HRT or clonidine treatment plasma CGRP levels (14.9 +/- 1.6 and 15.9 +/- 3.8 pmol/l) were significantly higher than before (9.8 +/- 0.6 and 10.5 +/- 1.6 pmol/l) (P < 0.01). The assumption of upright posture caused no change in plasma CGRP levels before treatment, while after HRT, but not after clonidine treatment, an increase in plasma CGRP levels was observed (P < 0.01 at 5 and 20 min). Basal plasma ANP levels significantly decreased after both HRT and clonidine treatment (P < 0.01). In untreated women the saline infusion test did not induce any change in plasma ANP levels; a significant response to the test was restored after HRT but not after clonidine treatment (P < 0.01 at 90 and 120 min). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that some of the adaptive responses modified by menopausal changes are restored by HRT but not clonidine treatment, suggesting a modulatory role for sex steroid hormones in cardiovascular function and salt and water balance.
Spinetti et al. (Mon,) conducted a other in Menopause (n=18). Hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) vs. Clonidine treatment and baseline was evaluated on Response of plasma calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) to upright posture and saline infusion tests (p=<0.01). Hormonal replacement therapy, but not clonidine, restored the response of plasma CGRP to upright posture and plasma ANP to saline infusion in postmenopausal women (P<0.01).