LAUSR

Several studies havebeenpublished on the relationship between the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and dopaminergic systems. However, they are mainly limited to experimental or clinical settings. The aim was to study the activity of the pituitary-gonadal system at different plasma dopamine levels in women living in the Russian Arctic taking into account their physiological state (reproductive age or postmenopause) and place of residence. Methods. Altogether, 72 women of the European North and 126 women of the Asian North aged 21-83 years participated in a cross-sectional study. Serum levels of luteinizing, follicle-stimulating hormones, prolactin, progesterone, total and free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, estradiol, and dopamine in the blood plasma were estimated. Results. Reference dopamine levels in fertile women of the European North were associated with higher values of prolactin (21.6 ng/ ml), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (6.49 pmol / l) and free testosterone (2.2 pg/ml), compared with women with undetectable dopamine levels in blood (11.4 ng/ml; 5.05 pmol/L; 0.7 pg/ml, respectively). In postmenopausal women of the Asian North the abovelimit dopamine levels were associated with lower levels of follicle-stimulating hormones (45.2 IU/L) and progesterone (2.99 nmol/L) and higher concentrations of testosterone (1.42 nmol/L) than in women with reference levels (67.8 IU/L; 3.95 nmol/L; 0.90 nmol/L, respectively). Conclusions. The combination of high prolactin levels with a high content of androgens in fertile women of the European North, especially in the group with reference dopamine levels, can be a risk factor for the occurrence of anovulatory menstruation. In postmenopausal women of the Asian North against the background of general reduced testosterone content, an increase in its level was recorded only in the group of persons with excess dopamine levels.