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Updated: May 28, 2026
An In Vivo Estrogen Deficiency Mouse Model for Screening Exogenous Estrogen Treatments of Cardiovascular Dysfunction After Menopause
Published on: August 13, 2019
[Therapy with dehidroepiandrosterone improves symptoms in perimenopausal women]
Marcelino Hernández Valencia1, Leobardo Angeles, Renata Saucedo
1Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Endocrinas, Centro Médico Nacional, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, DF México.
Background:
Depressive symptoms that occur with the onset of menopause are accompanied by changes in circulating neurotransmitters levels; these biochemical variations are considered to cause psychoemotional symptoms.
Objective:
To assess the effect of DHEAsupplementation and its efficacy for relieving symptoms of emotional and psychological distress, as well as the action on circulating neurotransmitters in perimenopausal women.
Patients And Methods:
An open, comparative, clinical study included twenty perimenopausal women who received oral DHEA doses and ten women acted as comparison group.
Setting:
the Endocrine Research Unit, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City. Interventions and main outcome measures consisted of oral DHEA doses of 50 mg/day for six months. Green scale for climacteric women and Quality of Life Menopause Scale (QUALMS) were used to measure emotional and psychological symptoms and well-being. Serum levels of DHEA-S, dopamine, serotonin, and beta-endorphin were quantified by specific assays at baseline and at the end of the treatment.
Results:
Alleviation of psychoemotional symptoms was observed in all but 4 treated women. Baseline levels of serum DHEA-S, serotonin and beta-endorphin increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 2.1 +/- 0.5 to 8.3 +/- 2.1 micromol/L, 215.3 +/- 86.4 to 310.4 + 150.1 ng/mL, and from 9.8 +/- 2.1 to 16.2 +/- 7.1 pmol/L respectively (means +/- SE) after treatment. In contrast, dopamine levels were unchanged.
Conclusions:
DHEA relieved emotional and psychological symptoms, and elevated both serotonin and beta-endorphin levels in perimenopausal women.
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