Altered levels of sex and stress steroid hormones assessed daily over a 28-day cycle in early abstinent cocaine-dependent females

Abstract

Rationale-There is growing evidence of alterations in brain stress and reward circuits associated with cocaine dependence. Sex differences are also documented and sex steroid hormones have been linked to cocaine reinforcement.Objectives-The current study therefore assessed daily fluctuations in stress and sex hormones in cocaine-dependent females compared with healthy females.Method-Daily salivary samples of cortisol, progesterone, and estradiol were collected at waking across 28 days from 12 cocaine-dependent females receiving inpatient treatment and 10 healthy females. Participants also completed mood-rating scales each week corresponding to four phases of the menstrual cycle and cocaine craving was monitored in cocaine patients at each phase.Results-Cocaine-dependent females in their first month of abstinence demonstrated significantly higher levels of both cortisol and progesterone across the menstrual cycle and significantly lower estradiol/progesterone (E2/P) ratios compared to healthy controls. They also showed significantly increased negative mood compared with controls, but no variation in cocaine craving across the menstrual cycle.Conclusions-Findings indicate altered stress and sex hormones suggestive of an overactive stress system during the first month of cocaine abstinence after chronic cocaine abuse. These increased levels of cortisol and progesterone could impact both abstinence-related symptoms such as negative mood and susceptibility to drug-seeking behavior in cocaine-dependent females.

The role of ovarian steroid hormones in mood

“…Similarly to Abplanalp et al (1979), however, they found a positive correlation between peak progesterone levels and measures of negative mood: crying and loneliness. Fox et al (2008) took daily measures of ovarian hormones using saliva samples, and weekly measures of mood using the POMS-bipolar form in healthy and cocaine addicted women. In the healthy women they found a negative correlation between negative mood and progesterone levels in the late luteal phase.…”

“…Often hormones or mood are only measured on a subset of days during the menstrual cycle (Abplanalp et al, 1979;Fox et al, 2008;Laessle et al, 1990;Rapkin et al, 2011;Stoddard et al, 2007). Composite measures of hormones, such as averages, may be used instead of directly assessing the relationship between daily hormone levels and daily mood (Stoddard et al, 2007).…”

Sex Differences in Guanfacine Effects on Drug Craving and Stress Arousal in Cocaine-Dependent Individuals

“…These include childhood trauma and menstrual cycle phase, both of which are known to impact adrenergic (Pervanidou and Chrousos, 2007;Sinha et al, 2007a;Feltenstein et al, 2011) and HPA-axis function (Fox et al, 2008a;Carpenter et al, 2011). Inclusion of a non-stress and drug cue comparison imagery condition would also have provided a clearer understanding of the subtleties between biophysiological response to combined stress and cue compared with stress alone and cue alone.…”

Recent Clinical Applications of Kampo Medicine in Amenorrhea

“…In contrast, the release of cortisol or estradiol was not affected by treatment with cinnamaldehyde (17). Recent reports suggest menstrual distress is related to higher estradiol levels, higher estradiol/progesterone ratios (18). Therefore, these actions of cinnamaldehyde may be attributed to the clinical effects of Cinnamon bark.…”