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- Dubol, Manon, et al.
(författare)
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Acute nicotine exposure blocks aromatase in the limbic brain of healthy women : A [11C]cetrozole PET study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Comprehensive Psychiatry. - : Elsevier. - 0010-440X .- 1532-8384. ; 123
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Of interest to women's mental health, a wealth of studies suggests sex differences in nicotine addiction and treatment response, but their psychoneuroendocrine underpinnings remain largely unknown. A pathway involving sex steroids could indeed be involved in the behavioural effects of nicotine, as it was found to inhibit aromatase in vitro and in vivo in rodents and non-human primates, respectively. Aromatase regulates the synthesis of oestrogens and, of relevance to addiction, is highly expressed in the limbic brain.Methods: The present study sought to investigate in vivo aromatase availability in relation to exposure to nicotine in healthy women. Structural magnetic resonance imaging and two [11C]cetrozole positron emission tomography (PET) scans were performed to assess the availability of aromatase before and after administration of nicotine. Gonadal hormones and cotinine levels were measured. Given the region-specific expression of aromatase, a ROI -based approach was employed to assess changes in [11C]cetrozole non-displaceable binding potential.Results: The highest availability of aromatase was found in the right and left thalamus. Upon nicotine exposure, [11C]cetrozole binding in the thalamus was acutely decreased bilaterally (Cohen's d =-0.99). In line, cotinine levels were negatively associated with aromatase availability in the thalamus, although as non-significant trend.Conclusions: These findings indicate acute blocking of aromatase availability by nicotine in the thalamic area. This suggests a new putative mechanism mediating the effects of nicotine on human behaviour, particularly relevant to sex differences in nicotine addiction.
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| 2. |
- Persson, Sofia, 1985-
(författare)
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Polycystic ovary syndrome : Long-term health aspects
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder among women of reproductive age, affecting many aspects of women’s health such as fertility, cardiovascular health and quality of life. However, less is known about later life stages, as well as the impact of hyperandrogenism and PCOS itself, apart from risks associated with excess body weight. The overall aim with this thesis was therefore to study how PCOS, and its hyperandrogenic phenotype, is associated with general health, with focus on diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and fertility at a longer span of time than during the fertile period.Studies I-III were register-based cohort studies, linking six Swedish national registers. In total, >50 000 women with PCOS and ≈ 250 000 controls were included and followed up for up to 20 years. Study IV was a clinical cross-sectional study including 124 women with PCOS and 74 controls.The main results were that PCOS has a great impact on women’s lives extending beyond the fertile period. While women with PCOS achieve a first childbirth as often as non-PCOS women, they have fewer children overall and give birth at a later age. In addition, PCOS is a moderate risk factor for type 2 diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia, regardless of body weight. The risk appears to be more pronounced in those with the hyperandrogenic phenotype. Finally, hyperandrogenism persists largely in midlife for women with PCOS, both through ongoing symptoms such as hirsutism and by having a negative impact on the women’s quality of life.In conclusion, women with PCOS should be informed that they have a good chance of conceiving, but that some may need assisted reproduction. We suggest that PCOS in general and the hyperandrogenic phenotype in particular be included as independent risk factors when counselling women on their likelihood to suffer from cardiovascular disease and its risk factors in particular such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia.
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| 3. |
- Preinbergs, Julia, 1989-, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of cosmetic hair treatment and natural hair colour on hair testosterone concentrations
- 2023
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 18:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PurposeTestosterone analysis in hair allows for retrospective evaluation of endogenous testosterone concentrations, but studies devoted to investigating confounders in hair testosterone analysis have hitherto been scarce. The current study examined the stability of testosterone concentrations between two hair samples collected three months apart and investigated two potential confounding factors: natural hair colour and cosmetic hair treatments.MethodsTestosterone was analysed with an in-house radioimmunoassay with a limit of detection adequate for the purpose.ResultsThe testosterone concentrations from the two samplings, at baseline and three months later, had an intra-individual correlation of moderate strength (rho = 0.378, p<0.001, n = 146). Hair treatment, such as colouring or bleaching, seemed to increase testosterone concentrations (p = 0.051, n = 191, and in a paired analysis in a subset of the cohort p = 0.005, n = 24), while no effect of natural colour in untreated hair (p = 0.133) could be detected.ConclusionThe current results suggest that cosmetic hair treatments need to be considered in hair testosterone analyses and demonstrate the utility of a radioimmunoassay to reliably measure testosterone concentrations in small hair samples in women.
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| 4. |
- Viirman, Frida
(författare)
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Mother, how are you? : Studies on self-rated health and childbirth experience
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Pregnancy and childbirth are characterised by emotional and physical changes, which can affect the mother’s mental health postpartum, as well as the infant. One step towards alleviating adverse consequences is to measure health status and childbirth experience. The aim of this thesis was to investigate women’s subjective health prior to pregnancy in relation to infant birth outcomes and childbirth experience, and to explore childbirth experience and its measurement from different perspectives.The thesis consists of four papers, of which the first two were based on data from the Swedish Pregnancy Register 2013-2018. In Paper I, self-rated health (SRH) prior to pregnancy was explored in relation to adverse birth outcomes, while Paper II investigated risk factors for negative childbirth experience. In Paper III, 112 written descriptions of negative childbirth experience were qualitatively explored in relation to events during labour and birth. In Paper IV, a single-item question about overall childbirth experience was compared to the validated four-dimensional Childbirth Experience Questionnaire 2, completed by 2,953 women.Overall, the prevalence of poor SRH prior to pregnancy was 9.9%. Among primiparas, 8.5% reported poor SRH, and 8.4% negative childbirth experience. Poor SRH was independently associated with small for gestational age, preterm birth, and negative childbirth experience. It was also associated with stillbirth, but not after adjustment for other risk factors. The main contributing factors to negative childbirth experience were related to labour and birth, with operative birth modes being the most prominent. Poor SRH was the only pre-gestational factor independently associated with negative childbirth experience. Only small differences between type of negative childbirth experience, in terms of qualitative sub-themes, were found between birth modes and complications during labour. Fear-based emotions was the most common sub-theme. The single-item measurement of overall childbirth experience mainly captured experiences of perceived safety, to a lesser extent own capacity and participation, but not experiences related to professional support.In conclusion, findings show the potential of using SRH assessments clinically to identify women in need of more extensive attention during pregnancy and childbirth. This thesis provides further proof of negative childbirth experience being multidimensional and subjective, and dominated by fear. When using single-item ratings of childbirth experience clinically, one must be aware that experiences of support are not well represented.
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