The Influence of Gonadal Hormone Suppression on Adipocyte Lineage and the Microbiome

The Influence of Gonadal Hormone Suppression on Adipocyte Lineage and the Microbiome

This research study plans to learn more about the role of female sex hormones on adipose tissue (or fat) and the gut microbiome (or the organisms that are in your digestive tract). The rationale for this study is that the rate at which women gain fat (especially in the stomach region) increases after menopause. It is thought to be due to the loss of estrogen because post-menopausal women who take estrogen gain less weight than those who do not take estrogen. Gut bacteria process estrogen and help determine the types of estrogen that circulate in the body. These bacteria can be changed with lifestyle factors such as diet, and may therefore, also affect the risk of diseases that are more common in women after menopause i.e., cardiovascular disease and cancer. In this study the investigators will obtain fat biopsies before and after 6 months of ovarian hormone suppression to measure how the fat cells change with the loss of female sex hormones (e.g., medical menopause). The investigators will also obtain stool and urine samples before and every month during the study to measure changes in the microbiome.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Enrollment into the parent protocol (COMIRB 16-1479 - The impact of estrogen status on the biological function of brown adipose tissue in women measured using quantitative PET/CT; PI - Edward Melanson, PhD)
• Participation in GnRHag intervention

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known allergy to lidocaine or other numbing medication
• Uncontrolled bleeding disorder or inability to withhold aspirin/NSAIDs or other blood thinning medications for 7 days prior to biopsy procedure.