Wilson M Claire, Lorenz Tierney K, Heiman Julia R
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington.
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Womens Reprod Health (Phila). 2018;5(3):170-182. doi: 10.1080/23293691.2018.1490079. Epub 2018 Oct 24.
Although ovarian hormones and social relationships are known to interact with HPA axis regulation, evidence for systematic covariation with basal salivary cortisol levels remains mixed. As part of a larger study, in this analysis we pursued two questions. First, do baseline cortisol concentrations consistently vary across the menstrual cycle? Second, do cortisol levels differ by relationship status? We collected afternoon saliva samples at four points across the menstrual cycle from 14 single and 18 monogamously partnered women, ages 18 to 48, who were not taking hormonal medications. Samples taken in the lab yielded significantly higher cortisol concentrations than samples provided at home; the two were thus considered separately. No significant differences were observed across lab-session (menses vs. ovulation) or at-home (follicular vs. luteal) levels. This finding converges with studies of awakening salivary, urinary, and plasma cortisol, which suggest that, in healthy women, menstrual schedules do not affect systematic shifts in basal cortisol. Contrary to expectations, single and partnered women did not differ in overall cortisol levels. Future research would benefit from examining potential links between cortisol, relationship status, and sexual activity.
尽管已知卵巢激素和社会关系会与下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴调节相互作用，但与基础唾液皮质醇水平的系统性共变证据仍不统一。作为一项更大规模研究的一部分，在本分析中我们探讨了两个问题。第一，基线皮质醇浓度在整个月经周期中是否持续变化？第二，皮质醇水平是否因恋爱状况而异？我们从14名单身和18名处于一夫一妻制伴侣关系的18至48岁女性中收集了她们在月经周期四个时间点的下午唾液样本，这些女性未服用激素类药物。在实验室采集的样本产生的皮质醇浓度显著高于在家中提供的样本；因此对两者分别进行了考虑。在实验室时段（月经期与排卵期）或在家中（卵泡期与黄体期）水平上均未观察到显著差异。这一发现与对觉醒时唾液、尿液和血浆皮质醇的研究结果一致，这些研究表明，在健康女性中，月经周期不会影响基础皮质醇的系统性变化。与预期相反，单身女性和有伴侣的女性在总体皮质醇水平上并无差异。未来的研究将受益于对皮质醇、恋爱状况和性活动之间潜在联系的研究。
