Effects of estradiol and medroxyprogesterone-acetate treatment on erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities and malondialdehyde plasma levels in amenorrhoic women

Plasma levels of 17 beta-estradiol (E(2)) and malondialdehyde and erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme [superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px)] activities were evaluated in 20 healthy eumenorrhoic women (EW) on day 7 of the menstrual cycle and in 48 secondary hypothalamic amenorrhea patients (AP) (time 0). The AP were randomly divided into four subgroups of 12 subjects and treated with transdermal E(2) for 30 days (subgroup A), oral medroxyprogesterone-acetate for 30 days (subgroup B), and transdermal E(2) plus medroxyprogesterone-acetate for 30 days (subgroup C). The fourth subgroup acted as control. E(2) and malondialdehyde plasma levels and superoxide dismutase, catalase, and GSH-Px activities were evaluated in subgroups A, B, and C on day 30 of therapy and in the control subgroup. GSH-Px activity was significantly higher in EW than in AP at time 0. A statistically significant increase in E(2) plasma levels and GSH-Px activity was observed in subgroups A and C on day 30 of treatment, and there was a significant positive correlation between E(2) plasma levels and GSH-Px activity in both subgroups. After a month of treatment, erythrocyte GSH-Px activity in subgroups A and C was not significantly different from that observed in EW. After a month of treatment, no significant variation was found in subgroup B nor in the control group. These results strongly suggest that when plasma E(2) is restored to physiological levels in AP, it stimulates erythrocyte GSH-Px activity. Progesterone therapy did not induce significant modifications.