Opioid System (β-endorphin) and Stress Hormones Profiling in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Aims: In this study, we investigated serumβ-endorphin and its feedback system in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO). Experimental and clinical studies show that there is an over activity of sympathetic nervous system in PCOS. It affects quality of life and can worsen anxiety and depression either due to the features of PCOS or due to the diagnosis of a chronic disease.
Study Area and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at Vali-e-Asr Clinic, a Reproductive Health Research Center, affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences between February 2012 and April 2013.
Methodology: 77 women with PCO were studied with diagnose criteria and within the age range of 20-40 years without special disease. Stress neurohormones, beta-endorphine and melatonin serum levels were measured in study group and were compared with healthy women as control group. A questionnaire with items related to pieces of information about stress was used for data collection. Stress symptoms were assessed using the Understanding Yourself questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Ver. 13.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, ILL, USA). The data are presented as mean ± SD or as frequency with percentages. A p-value less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant.
Results: Data of serum levels of neurohormones showed, beta endorphin decreased (P<0.001) and adrenaline increased (P<0.001) in women with PCO. Significantly inhibited the opioid system may be one of the main reasons of the hyperactivity in two super systems: HPA and sympathetic nervous system.
Conclusion: Earlier reports stated that opioid system decreases sympathetic tone in the brain in normal condition, our results in this study confirm the over activity of sympathetic nervous system which was due to decreasing opioid system activity in women with polycystic ovary syndrom (PCO).