Circulating androgens and SHBG during the normal menstrual cycle in two ethnic populations.

The objective of this study was to study possible ethnic differences in steroid hormones and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) during the menstrual cycle. Serum levels of the ovarian steroids estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) and of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), SHBG, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and testosterone (T-ria) were all measured by immunoassay during the menstrual cycle in 15 Swedish and 11 West Asian regularly menstruating women. Testosterone (T-ms) was also measured by LC-MS/MS and so were 4-androstene-3,17-dione (A-4) and 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP).

The influence of menstrual phases on pain modulation in healthy women.

Unlabelled: This study investigated if conditioned pain modulation (CPM) varies across the menstrual cycle in healthy, normally menstruating women and investigated correlations between sex hormone levels and CPM across the menstrual cycle. Thirty-six normally menstruating women were tested during 3 phases of the menstrual cycle: early follicular, ovulatory, and midluteal, confirmed by hormone determinations. Mechanical pressure (test stimulus) was applied to the masseter muscle and the induced pain assessed before, during, and after immersion of the hand into ice water (conditioning stimulus) to activate CPM or tepid water (control).

Influence of oral contraceptives on endogenous pain control in healthy women.

This study investigated the influence of oral contraceptives (OC) on diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) in healthy women. Fifteen women taking OC and 17 normally menstruating women (No-OC) were tested during high and low endogenous estrogens sessions. Saliva was sampled for analysis of endogenous estradiol level.