Treatment of normal women with oestradiol plus progesterone prevents the decrease of leptin concentrations induced by ovariectomy

To study the role of oestradiol and progesterone in the secretion of leptin , 21 normally ovulating women were recruited from those scheduled for ovari ectomy plus hysterectomy performed in mid-follicular phase of the cycle. Se ven of the women were used as controls and received no hormonal treatment p ost-operatively, Another seven women received oestradiol (oestradiol group) and the remaining seven women received oestradiol plus progesterone (oestr adiol plus progesterone group). Serum leptin values showed a temporal but s ignificant increase 24 h after the operation and were significantly correla ted with the cortisol and progesterone values, which increased temporarily at 12 h. At that time a marked decline in oestradiol concentrations was see n. After the temporal increase, leptin values in the controls and the oestr adiol group decreased significantly up to day 4 (P < 0.05), while in the oe stradiol plus progesterone group they increased (P < 0.01) and were signifi cantly higher than in the other two groups (P < 0.05). Body mass index (BMI ) was the most important variable accounting for the changes in leptin valu es post-operatively, but in the oestradiol plus progesterone group progeste rone correlated significantly with leptin independently of BMI. These resul ts suggest that progesterone and cortisol can stimulate leptin secretion in women regardless of oestradiol concentrations.