Mineralocorticoid receptor haplotype moderates the effects of oral contraceptives and menstrual cycle on emotional information processing

Rationale: The processing of emotional information is affected by menstrual cycle phase and by the use of oral contraceptives (OCs). The stress hormone cortisol is known to affect emotional information processing via the limbic mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). Objectives: We investigated in an explo...

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Published in:Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford) 2016-10, Vol.30 (10), p.1054-1061
Main Authors: Hamstra, Danielle A, de Kloet, E Ronald, Tollenaar, Marieke, Verkuil, Bart, Manai, Meriem, Putman, Peter, Van der Does, Willem
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Birth control
Contraceptives, Oral - administration & dosage
Cross-Sectional Studies
Decision Making - drug effects
Emotions - drug effects
Facial Expression
Female
Follicular Phase - drug effects
Follicular Phase - metabolism
Haplotypes - genetics
Hormones
Humans
Information processing
Luteal Phase - drug effects
Luteal Phase - metabolism
Menstruation
Psychopharmacology
Receptors, Mineralocorticoid - metabolism
Young Adult
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Summary:Rationale: The processing of emotional information is affected by menstrual cycle phase and by the use of oral contraceptives (OCs). The stress hormone cortisol is known to affect emotional information processing via the limbic mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). Objectives: We investigated in an exploratory study whether the MR-genotype moderates the effect of both OC-use and menstrual cycle phase on emotional cognition. Methods: Healthy premenopausal volunteers (n=93) of West-European descent completed a battery of emotional cognition tests. Forty-nine participants were OC users and 44 naturally cycling, 21 of whom were tested in the early follicular (EF) and 23 in the mid-luteal (ML) phase of the menstrual cycle. Results: In MR-haplotype 1/3 carriers, ML women gambled more than EF women when their risk to lose was relatively small. In MR-haplotype 2, ML women gambled more than EF women, regardless of their odds of winning. OC-users with MR-haplotype 1/3 recognised fewer facial expressions than ML women with MR-haplotype 1/3. Conclusion: MR-haplotype 1/3 carriers may be more sensitive to the influence of their female hormonal status. MR-haplotype 2 carriers showed more risky decision-making. As this may reflect optimistic expectations, this finding may support previous observations in female carriers of MR-haplotype 2 in a naturalistic cohort study.
ISSN:0269-8811
1461-7285
DOI:10.1177/0269881116647504