It has long been believed that a woman's irritability and anxiety during menstrual cycle is caused chemical imbalances in the brain. However, a recent study suggests that hormonal changes before a menstrual period affects how a woman's gene functions.
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US discovered molecular mechanisms which may explain a woman's mood changes in the days leading up to her menstruation. According to Eureka Alert, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) affects 2 to 5 females, and a less severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is much more common.
Scientists Found 'Dysregulated Expression In A Suspect Gene Complex'
"We found dysregulated expression in a suspect gene complex which adds to evidence that PMDD is a disorder of cellular response to estrogen and progesterone," study author, Peter Schmidt, M.D. of the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health, Behavioral Endocrinology Branch said. Researchers hope that the discovery of this gene complex could develop treatment for "reproductive endocrine-related mood disorders."
The gene structure, ESC/E(Z) (extra sex combs/Enhancer of zeste), regulates epigenetic mechanisms which govern gene transcription into proteins in response to the environment. This gene was found to be over-expressed in PMDD patients' cells, compared to those taken from control subjects.
Women With PMDD Have An 'Intrinsic Difference' In Molecular Apparatus
The researchers, USA Today reported, experimentally turned off estrogen and progesterone in test subjects caused the symptoms to disappear, but the symptoms return when they were turned back on. PMDD can be disabling and affects a person's work performance, the Mayo Clinic said.
David Goldman, M.D. co-author of the study said that their discovery establishes that women with PMDD "have an intrinsic difference in their molecular apparatus for response to sex hormones". These are not just emotional behaviors that women are able to control voluntarily, the study says. This discovery may take years before it translates into any kind of therapeutic treatment, researchers noted, and that more study needs to be done.
