Peripheral Catecholaminergic Alterations in Adolescents With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (Pco). 8

Recent evidence suggest increased noradrenergic activity in both the anterior hypothalamus and the ovary in PCO. This study was aimed to determine the presence of peripheral catecholaminergic alterations in this syndrome. We studied 14 adolescent PCO patients (mean age 16.9 years) presenting amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea and increased plasma levels of testosterone, androstenedione and LH, and 9 normal cycling controls (mean age 16.7 years). Plasma concentrations of Dopa, norepinephrine, epinephrine, total dopamine and dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG) in basal conditions and in response to GnRH were determined by HPLC with electrochemical detection or a radioenzymatic method. Basal urinary Dopa, catecholamines and catechol metabolites: DHPG, vainyllilmandelic acid (VMA), methoxyhidroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), homovanillic acid (HVA), metanephrine (MN) and normetanephrine (NMN) were determined by HPLC with electrochemical detection.