The effect of oxytocin vaginal gel on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial
Abstract Background Around 90% of postmenopausal women are suffering from vaginal atrophy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of oxytocin vaginal gel on vaginal atrophy among postmenopausal women. Methods This was a randomized controlled trial that was conducted on 96 postmenopausal women who s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2020-05-01
|
| Series: | BMC Women's Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12905-020-00935-5 |
| _version_ | 1811331813997543424 |
|---|---|
| author | Ilnaz Zohrabi Parvin Abedi Somayeh Ansari Elham Maraghi Nader Shakiba Maram Gholamreza Houshmand |
| author_facet | Ilnaz Zohrabi Parvin Abedi Somayeh Ansari Elham Maraghi Nader Shakiba Maram Gholamreza Houshmand |
| author_sort | Ilnaz Zohrabi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Around 90% of postmenopausal women are suffering from vaginal atrophy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of oxytocin vaginal gel on vaginal atrophy among postmenopausal women. Methods This was a randomized controlled trial that was conducted on 96 postmenopausal women who suffered from vaginal atrophy. The inclusion criteria were: literate women, age 40–60, at least 1 year passed from their last menstrual period or the level of FSH > 40 IU, monogamous women with the sexual relationship. Women in the intervention group, requested to use one applicator of 400 IU oxytocin gel per night and women in the placebo group used placebo each night. The subjective symptoms of vaginal atrophy, vaginal PH, maturation index were measured before and after the intervention. Results The number of superficial cells was increased significantly in the oxytocin group compared to placebo (38.7 ± 7.18 vs. 3.69 ± 2.76, p = 0.0001), while the number of parabasal cells was decreased significantly in the oxytocin compared to placebo after the intervention. The improvement of the maturation index was more dominant in the oxytocin group (increased from 7.76 ± 4.68 to 52.48 ± 7.54) in comparison to the placebo group (increased from 8.58 ± 4.35 to 13.25 ± 5.06). The PH of the vagina decreased significantly in the oxytocin group in comparison to the placebo group (p = 0.0001). After 8 weeks, 88.6 and 7.1% of women in the oxytocin and placebo groups did not show the severe symptoms of vaginal atrophy (p = 0.001). Conclusion The results of this study showed that eight- week intervention with oxytocin vaginal gel (400 IU) could significantly improve the vaginal maturation index, subjective symptoms of vaginal atrophy and reduce the PH of the vagina. Using this medication in women who have a contraindication for hormone therapy is recommended. Trial registration IRCT20160602028220N2 . |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T16:26:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1509f04900704ff3893758696510b975 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6874 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T16:26:29Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Women's Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-1509f04900704ff3893758696510b9752022-12-22T02:39:43ZengBMCBMC Women's Health1472-68742020-05-012011710.1186/s12905-020-00935-5The effect of oxytocin vaginal gel on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trialIlnaz Zohrabi0Parvin Abedi1Somayeh Ansari2Elham Maraghi3Nader Shakiba Maram4Gholamreza Houshmand5Menopause Andropause Research Center, Midwifery Department, Nursing & Midwifery School, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical SciencesMenopause Andropause Research Center, Midwifery Department, Nursing & Midwifery School, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical SciencesMenopause Andropause Research Center, Midwifery Department, Nursing & Midwifery School, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical SciencesPharmaceutics Department, Nanotechnology Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical SciencesAbstract Background Around 90% of postmenopausal women are suffering from vaginal atrophy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of oxytocin vaginal gel on vaginal atrophy among postmenopausal women. Methods This was a randomized controlled trial that was conducted on 96 postmenopausal women who suffered from vaginal atrophy. The inclusion criteria were: literate women, age 40–60, at least 1 year passed from their last menstrual period or the level of FSH > 40 IU, monogamous women with the sexual relationship. Women in the intervention group, requested to use one applicator of 400 IU oxytocin gel per night and women in the placebo group used placebo each night. The subjective symptoms of vaginal atrophy, vaginal PH, maturation index were measured before and after the intervention. Results The number of superficial cells was increased significantly in the oxytocin group compared to placebo (38.7 ± 7.18 vs. 3.69 ± 2.76, p = 0.0001), while the number of parabasal cells was decreased significantly in the oxytocin compared to placebo after the intervention. The improvement of the maturation index was more dominant in the oxytocin group (increased from 7.76 ± 4.68 to 52.48 ± 7.54) in comparison to the placebo group (increased from 8.58 ± 4.35 to 13.25 ± 5.06). The PH of the vagina decreased significantly in the oxytocin group in comparison to the placebo group (p = 0.0001). After 8 weeks, 88.6 and 7.1% of women in the oxytocin and placebo groups did not show the severe symptoms of vaginal atrophy (p = 0.001). Conclusion The results of this study showed that eight- week intervention with oxytocin vaginal gel (400 IU) could significantly improve the vaginal maturation index, subjective symptoms of vaginal atrophy and reduce the PH of the vagina. Using this medication in women who have a contraindication for hormone therapy is recommended. Trial registration IRCT20160602028220N2 .http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12905-020-00935-5OxytocinVaginal atrophyPostmenopausal women |
| spellingShingle | Ilnaz Zohrabi Parvin Abedi Somayeh Ansari Elham Maraghi Nader Shakiba Maram Gholamreza Houshmand The effect of oxytocin vaginal gel on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial BMC Women's Health Oxytocin Vaginal atrophy Postmenopausal women |
| title | The effect of oxytocin vaginal gel on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial |
| title_full | The effect of oxytocin vaginal gel on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial |
| title_fullStr | The effect of oxytocin vaginal gel on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of oxytocin vaginal gel on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial |
| title_short | The effect of oxytocin vaginal gel on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial |
| title_sort | effect of oxytocin vaginal gel on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women a randomized controlled trial |
| topic | Oxytocin Vaginal atrophy Postmenopausal women |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12905-020-00935-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ilnazzohrabi theeffectofoxytocinvaginalgelonvaginalatrophyinpostmenopausalwomenarandomizedcontrolledtrial AT parvinabedi theeffectofoxytocinvaginalgelonvaginalatrophyinpostmenopausalwomenarandomizedcontrolledtrial AT somayehansari theeffectofoxytocinvaginalgelonvaginalatrophyinpostmenopausalwomenarandomizedcontrolledtrial AT elhammaraghi theeffectofoxytocinvaginalgelonvaginalatrophyinpostmenopausalwomenarandomizedcontrolledtrial AT nadershakibamaram theeffectofoxytocinvaginalgelonvaginalatrophyinpostmenopausalwomenarandomizedcontrolledtrial AT gholamrezahoushmand theeffectofoxytocinvaginalgelonvaginalatrophyinpostmenopausalwomenarandomizedcontrolledtrial AT ilnazzohrabi effectofoxytocinvaginalgelonvaginalatrophyinpostmenopausalwomenarandomizedcontrolledtrial AT parvinabedi effectofoxytocinvaginalgelonvaginalatrophyinpostmenopausalwomenarandomizedcontrolledtrial AT somayehansari effectofoxytocinvaginalgelonvaginalatrophyinpostmenopausalwomenarandomizedcontrolledtrial AT elhammaraghi effectofoxytocinvaginalgelonvaginalatrophyinpostmenopausalwomenarandomizedcontrolledtrial AT nadershakibamaram effectofoxytocinvaginalgelonvaginalatrophyinpostmenopausalwomenarandomizedcontrolledtrial AT gholamrezahoushmand effectofoxytocinvaginalgelonvaginalatrophyinpostmenopausalwomenarandomizedcontrolledtrial |