Urinary phytoestrogens and depression in perimenopausal US women: NHANES 2005-2008.

BACKGROUND: Fluctuating hormonal levels observed during the menopausal transition may increase vulnerability to depression in susceptible women. Thus, it is of interest to examine the effect of natural estrogens such as phytoestrogens on the risk of depression in perimenopausal women. METHODS: Our analysis included 193 perimenopausal women of the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) 2005-2008 aged 45-55 years. Urinary concentrations of phytoestrogens (isoflavones and lignans) were measured by HPLC-APPI-MS/MS. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Logistic regression models examined the association of phytoestrogens concentrations (creatinine-standardized and log-transformed) with depression (yes/no). RESULTS: Unadjusted odds ratios (OR) of the associations between urinary phytoestrogen concentrations and perimenopausal depression were below 1; however, only lignans were significantly inversely associated with depression. The latter findings were not attenuated in multivariate analysis including age, race, body mass index, poverty income ratio, smoking, alcohol consumption, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (lignans: OR=0.66; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.50-0.87, enterodiol: OR=0.63; 95% CI 0.51-0.78, enterolactone: OR=0.75; 95% CI 0.60-0.93). LIMITATIONS: Our cross-sectional study design does not allow for causal inferences. Because information to precisely assess perimenopausal symptoms was missing, we defined perimenopause based on women's age. CONCLUSIONS: Lower lignans but not isoflavones concentrations were statistically significantly associated with an increased risk of depression in perimenopausal women. Because of medical risks associated with the use of hormone therapy, further investigation on the effect of lignans on the risk of depression in perimenopausal women is warranted.

Catecholamine changes in patients with depression under the action of high-intensity light. / Zminy katekholaminiv u khvorykh z depresiieiu pid diieiu svitla pidvyshchenoï intensyvnosti.

Preponderance in depression of the melancholy affect was characterized by a drop in the level of norepinephrine (NE) and rise in epinephrine (E). Exposure to light was associated with fall in E, with no change recordable in NE. In anxious depression, following light therapy, high levels of excretion of both catecholamines tended to return to normal. Ligh was found to cause opposite changes in the quantitative measures depending upon the initial value for the E:NE ratio (above or below control).

[The action of high-intensity light on catecholamine excretion in depressive patients]. / Deistvie sveta povyshennoi intensivnosti na ékskretsiiu katekholaminov u bol'nykh depressiei.

The action of bright light (2600-2800 lux) on the catecholamine (CA) excretion was analyzed in patients with anxious (11) and melancholic (12) depressions resultant from manic-depressive psychosis and schizophrenia. The melancholic depressed patients were characterized by decreased noradrenaline (NA) and increased adrenaline (A) levels; in anxious depression NA and A were increased. The light therapy resulted in decrease of A level but NA level remained invariable in melancholic depression. Meanwhile the tendency to normalization of excretion of both CA was observed in anxious patients after light therapy. The contrary alterations in A/NA ratio as well as its considerable individual fluctuations were observed after light therapy. The A/NA ratio after light therapy depended mainly upon the initial A/NA ratio (the higher or lower ratio compared to control value).

Changes in norepinephrine output following light therapy for fall/winter seasonal depression.

Recurrent fall/winter depressions that remit during spring and summer have been called Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD) (Wehr and Rosenthal 1989). The pathophysiology of SAD, its relationship to nonseasonal affective disorders, and the mechanism of action of light therapy, which is effective in treating SAD, remain to be elucidated (Depue et al 1989; Jacobsen et al 1987; James et al 1986; Joseph-Vanderpool et al 1991; Skwerer et al 1988, Terman et al 1989). Norepinephrine (NE) may play a role in the mechanisms of action of many antidepressant treatments (Schildkraut 1965) that alter NE metabolism (Schildkraut et al 1964 and 1965) and decrease the urinary output of NE and its metabolites, i.e., "whole-body NE turnover" (WBNET) (Golden et al 1988; Potter et al 1988). The present study explored whether light therapy also reduces the urinary output of NE and its metabolites.