The effect of age, sex, pregnancy, oestrogen and progestogen on rat serum proteins

Using a radial immunodiffusion technique the levels of four serum proteins, albumin, transferrin, slow α1-globulin and γ2-globulin, were measured in normal rats to determine the effects on these proteins of age, sex, pregnancy and of the administration of oestrogen (mestranol) and progestogen (ethynodiol diacetate). Significant increases in albumin, slow α1-globulin and γ2-globulin were found with increasing age, and highly significant differences in albumin and slow α1-globulin occurred between male and female rats. During pregnancy significant increases in slow α1-globulin and transferrin were found but albumin and γ2-globulin concentrations fell. Oestrogen administration resulted in significant increases in slow α1-globulin and transferrin, but albumin and γ2-globulin were unaltered. In the progestogen-treated group the concentrations of all four proteins were unchanged.

The effect of the progestogen ethynodiol diacetate on glucose, insulin, and growth hormone after six months treatment

Seventy-one women were treated with a daily dose of 0.25 mg of the progestogen ethynodiol diacetate. They were all tested with a three-hour oral glucose tolerance test before beginning the steroid and then again during the sixth month of use. Measurements were made of blood glucose and plasma insulin and growth hormone levels. There was a significant elevation of the blood glucose levels after steroid treatment as well as a deterioration in the tolerance curve in 12.9% of the women. The plasma insulin values were also elevated after drug treatment whereas the fasting ambulatory growth hormone levels did not significantly change. There was a significant association between the changes in glucose and insulin levels and the subject's age, control weight, or weight gain during treatment. The importance of considering the metabolic effects of the progestogen component of oral contraceptives is stressed.