Overview
The investigators are seeking healthy volunteers and volunteers with reproductive disorders for the study of the role of dynorphin in the reproductive system. Dynorphin is a naturally occurring opioid hormone that is blocked by naloxone.
We hypothesize that naloxone, by blocking dynorphin, will stimulate production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and kisspeptin, two other naturally occurring reproductive hormones.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Ages 21-40 (healthy men and regularly cycling women) OR ages 18-75 (men and women with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH))
- Normal blood pressure (systolic BP <140 mm Hg, diastolic BP <90 mm Hg)
- White blood cell, platelets, prolactin, and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)within 90%-110% of laboratory reference range
- Negative urine drug screen panel
- Hemoglobin:
- For healthy men and healthy regularly cycling women: normal
- For men and women with HH: No less than 0.5 gm/dL below the lower limit of the reference range for normal women
- Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, liver function tests not elevated
- For healthy subjects: Normal reproductive function and history
- For healthy subjects: Body Mass Index (BMI) 18.5-30kg/m2
- For subjects with HH: All medical conditions stable and well controlled
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of medication reaction requiring emergency medical attention
- Illicit drug use
- Consumption of more than 10 alcoholic drinks per week
- Difficulty with blood draws
- Currently seeking fertility, breastfeeding, or pregnant
- For healthy subjects: history of chronic disease and prescription medication use (with the exception of seasonal allergy medication)
- For subjects with HH: prescription medications known to affect reproductive endocrine function except for those used to treat the subject's reproductive condition