LOWER SEX-HORMONES IN MEN DURING ANTICIPATORY STRESS

Free cortisol, luteinizing hormone (LH), total testosterone and monoam ines were measured in two successive nocturnal urine collections in 50 healthy men to assess the influence of anticipatory stress. The first collection (N-2) was two nights before and the second (N-1) was just on the night before a one-day experimental stressor consisting of part icipation in a one-day clinical research protocol. The mean cortisol l evel increased from 23.4 (N-2) to 66.6 mu g (N-1), while mean LH level decreased from 2.68 (N-2) to 1.71 IU (N-1) and the mean testosterone level fell from 1.31 (N-2) to 0.70 mu g (N-1). There were no changes i n monoamines. Inhibition of sex hormones is a relatively neglected are a of stress research.