THE CHRONIC ADMINISTRATION OF CABERGOLINE NORMALIZES ANDROGEN SECRETION AND IMPROVES MENSTRUAL CYCLICITY IN WOMEN WITH POLYCYSTIC-OVARY-SYNDROME

Objective: To investigate whether the administration of the long-lasti ng dopaminergic drug, cabergoline, improves endocrine and clinical fea tures of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Patients: Twenty -nine women participated in the study: 14 women with clinical and endo crinologic features of PCOS and 15 age- and weight-matched normal cycl ing women. Each subject was assigned randomly to receive either a tabl et of cabergoline at the dose of 0.5 mg/wk or placebo for 4 months. Si xteen subjects (PCOS: n=8; controls: n=8) received cabergoline, wherea s 13 (PCOS: n=6; controls: n=7) received placebo. Interventions: Both before and during the 4th month of treatment, blood samples were colle cted every 10 minutes from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M., 3 to 7 days after s pontaneous or medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA; 5 mg daily for 5 days) -induced menses. Follicle-stimulating hormone and androgen levels were measured in the basal samples, whereas LH levels were measured in all samples. Main Outcome Measures: Menstrual cyclicity, LH pulsatility, and circulating levels of FSH, PRL, E(2), total T, free T, androstened ione, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, DHEAS, and sex hormone-binding glo bulin. Results: Both in controls and in PCOS-affected women, cabergoli ne administration blunted plasma PRL levels without affecting LH pulsa tility. Androgen levels were reduced in controls and normalized in PCO S. Cabergoline, but not placebo, induced menses reappearance in amenor rheic and a normalization of menstrual cyclicity in oligoamenorrheic w omen with PCOS. Conclusions: The administration of cabergoline is capa ble to normalize androgen levels and to improve menstrual cyclicity in PCOS-affected women. Cabergoline may represent an useful treatment fo r menstrual irregularities of PCOS patients.