| Disease | THE CLINICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF A PROSTAGLANDIN SYNTHESIS PRECURSOR (EFAMOL) CONTAINING LINOLEIC ACID AND ITS METABOLITE, GAMMA-LINOLENIC ACID, WERE STUDIED IN 30 WOMEN WITH SEVERE, INCAPACITATING PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME. EFAMOL TREATMENT
ALLEVIATED THE PREMENSTRUAL SYMPTOMS IN GENERAL AND DEPRESSION ESPECIALLY BETTER THAN DID A PLACEBO. THE CAPACITY OF PLATELETS TO RELEASE THROMBOXANE B2 DURING SPONTANEOUS CLOTTING WAS DECREASED IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING EFAMOL TREATMENT(141+/-59
NG/ML, MEAN +/- SD) AS COMPARED TO THOSE UNDERGOING PLACEBO TREATMENT(186 +/- 44 NG/ML, P<0.01) AND CONTROL SUBJECTS (176 +/-40 NG/ML, N=25, P<0.05. NO CHANGES WERE FOUND IN PLASMA 6-KETO-PROSTAGLANDIN F-1A OR IN FSH,LH, PROLACTIN, PROGESTERONE,
ESTRADIOL AND TESTOSTERONE. THE DATA SUGGEST THAT PROSTAGLANDINS MIGHT PLAY A ROLE IN THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF THE PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME.
A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT, EFAMOL, WAS USED. |