AZIZI F. SERUM LEVELS OF PROLACTIN, THYROTROPIN, THYROID HORMONES, TRH RESPONSIVENESS, AND MALE REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION IN INTERMITTENT ISLAMIC FASTING. Med J Islam Repub Iran 1991; 5 (3) :145-148
URL:
http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1628-en.html
From the Endocrine Research Center and the Department of Medicine, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Abstract: (4964 Views)
During the Islamic lunar month of Ramadan millions of Muslims
abstain from drinking and eating from dawn to sunset. The objective of this
study was to investigate the effect of intermittent Islamic fasting on
reproductive function, hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis and the
peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormones in men.
We measured serum levels of FSH, LH, testosterone, prolactin, TSH,
T4, T3 and T3 uptake, and prolactin and TSH responses to TRH, before, at
10th, 20th and 29th days of Ramadan and four weeks after fasting month was
terminated. Subj ects were nine healthy men who fasted 17 hours a day for 29
days. There were no significant changes in serum levels of any of measured
hormones during Ramadan. Prolactin and TSH responses to TRH were also
unaltered. The only positive finding 'Yas increased serum T4 of 1.5 to 2.8
Ilg/dl and increased free T4 index (FT4I) in five of nine subjects in the last
days of Ramadan.
We conclude that 1) Intermittent abstinence from food and drink for 17
hr a day, as is observed in Islamic fasting, does not alter male reproductive
function, hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, or peripheral metabolism of
thyroid hormones. 2) In some subjects slight increase in serum T4 may occur
in the last days of Ramadan.