[Effect of carbon disulfide on menopause in women].

The authors examined clinically 1710 women. Among them 199 women with symptoms of menopause were selected and divided into two groups: group I (control) included 80 women without contact with carbon disulphide and group II (examined) included 119 women chronically exposed to carbon disulphide at a concentration of 9.36-23.4 mg/m3. Menopause was present in 16.59% of women chronically exposed to CS2 as compared with 8.05% of the normal population. The mean age at menopause was 48.1 years in group I and 43.9 in group II. Significantly more frequent headaches, weight gain and loss of libido (p < 0.01) were observed in women chronically exposed to CS2. While in the control group fatigue, palpitations and hot flushes were more often (p < 0.001). The concentrations of estrone (p < 0.01), estradiol, progesterone, 17-hydroxy-progesterone, testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHAS) were significantly decreased in women chronically exposed to CS2 (p < 0.001). No difference in the level of dehydroepiandrosterone was found. The daily excretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline in urine and concentrations of dopamine in plasma of women chronically exposed to CS2 were lower (p < 0.001), while the concentrations of serotonin and prolactin in plasma were higher (p < 0.001). No differences in the level of FSH or LH were noted between the two groups. Significant negative linear correlations between serotonin and FSH (r = -0.45; p < 0.01) serotonin and daily excretion of adrenalin (r = -0.43; p < 0.01) or noradrenalin (r = -0.58; p < 0.001) were found in the exposed group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)