Chronic oral administration of lansoprazole does not affect the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis in healthy young men.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effects of chronic oral administration of standard doses of lansoprazole on the luteinizing hormone pulsatile pattern and on follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone levels in young men.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Eleven healthy volunteers were studied on three separate occasions, before and after two 3-week periods of treatment with lansoprazole (30 mg every morning) or a placebo, according to a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, cross-over design. On each study day, blood samples were taken every 15 min for 8 h. The pulsatile pattern of luteinizing hormone, mean concentrations of FSH and total testosterone plasma levels were determined for each patient using specific radioimmunoassays.

RESULTS

Lansoprazole did not significantly affect mean plasma levels, the pulsatile pattern of luteinizing hormone, or mean plasma concentrations of FSH and testosterone compared with the placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that chronic oral administration of standard doses of lansoprazole does not affect the concentrations of gonadal hypothalamic pituitary or sex steroid hormones.