PLASMA MELATONIN PROFILE AND HORMONAL INTERACTIONS IN THE MENSTRUAL CYCLES OF ANOVULATORY INFERTILE WOMEN TREATED WITH GONADOTROPINS

The patterns of plasma melatonin, gonadotropins, sex steroids and prol actin were studied in anovulatory infertile females undergoing ovulati on induction with hMG/hCG. Melatonin levels were found to fluctuate du ring the menstrual cycle of these subjects with a nadir at mid-cycle a nd peak occurring at the early follicular/late luteal phases of the cy cle (p < 0.05). Melatonin correlated negatively with estradiol during the follicular phase (r = -0.5180, p < 0.05) and positively with LH (5 + 0.6321, p < 0.05) in the luteal phase, respectively. Correlational analyses by partial and multiple correlations suggest that the effects of estradiol and LH on melatonin in the follicular phase are interdep endent whereas the effect of LH on melatonin in the luteal phase is in dependent of the effects of other hormones. The results suggest that h ormonal interactions and phases of the cycle are important variables c ontributing to the fluctuations in melatonin levels during the menstru al cycle.