The effects of estrogens, progestogen, oral contraceptives, and intrauterine devices on fasting triglyceride and insulin levels

Estradiol and body weight during temporally targeted food restriction: Central pathways and peripheral metabolic factors

We used temporally-targeted food restriction (TTFR), in which ovariectomized rats had chow only for 2 h/day, to test the hypothesis that estradiol benzoate (EB) suppresses feeding and decreases body weight during brief (4 day) TTFR, as it does during ad libitum feeding. All rats lost weight during TTFR, but the loss was greater with EB treatment. However, OIL and EB-treated rats ate comparable amounts of chow during TTFR. We next investigated central nervous system pathways and peripheral hormonal and metabolic changes that accompany the effects of TTFR to determine the mechanism for this effect. Immunolabeling for fos in the nucleus of the solitary tract, the terminal site of vagal afferents from the gastrointestinal tract, was increased when rats on TTFR had access to chow for 1 h on the test day, indicating neuronal activation associated with consumption of the meal. However, fos immunolabeling was not affected by EB treatment, nor were numbers of the α subtype of estrogen receptors. TTFR had the expected effects on carbohydrate and lipid metabolites and metabolic hormones, with only slight differences in plasma glucose, triglycerides, and free fatty acids attributable to EB treatment. Interestingly, plasma corticosterone levels were greater in EB-treated rats on TTFR, and increased further after eating. Given that corticosterone affects metabolism, these findings suggest that elevated corticosterone may explain the persistence of EB-induced differences in body weight during TTFR despite the lack of effect on food intake.

Alterations in carbohydrate metabolism as they apply to reproductive endocrinology

This review has characterized the current state of knowledge of four clinical situations in which an interrelationship of gynecology, endocrinology and carbohydrate metabolism is recognized. The literature contains conflicting descriptions of changes in glucose homeostasis during the menstrual cycle and while using birth control pills. Physiologic changes in receptor number have been demonstrated in each of these situations, so failure to observe differences using glucose tolerance testing may reflect an in vivo homeostatic response to changes in these hormone levels. Thus, in vivo identification of alterations in carbohydrate metabolism induced by endogenous or exogenous steroids may require utilization of models that prevent these homeostatic mechanisms. The association between hyperandrogenism and hyperinsulinism has been better characterized, but the relationship is complicated by the frequent coexistence of obesity. The association may be due to insulin-stimulated ovarian androgen production, and insulin insensitivity may reflect a postreceptor defect. Insulin and its metabolic effects have also been implicated in ovulatory dysfunction in women with diabetes mellitus and identified as a factor affecting all levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. A clearer understanding of these relationships and their application to clinical management await further study.

Effect of large-dose progesterone on plasma levels of lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins in males

Eleven men with sexual deviation syndrome were hospitalized for treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-provera). Plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, apo A-I and LDL apo B were measured before and during Depo-provera treatment. Ten normolipidemic and one mildly hypertriglyceridemic patient with 117 +/- 17% ideal body weight were maintained on a regular hospital diet before and during the study. They received an average total dose of 1273 +/- 467 mg Depo-provera by im injections over a mean period of 17 +/- 6 days. In the whole group, Depo-provera significantly reduced the plasma total cholesterol by 12% (p less than 0.0005), triglycerides by 24% (p less than 0.005), LDL cholesterol by 13% (p less than 0.01), LDL apo B by 15% (p less than 0.05), and apo A-I by 7% (p less than 0.05). Total HDL cholesterol, HDL2 cholesterol and HDL3 cholesterol did not change significantly. Excluding from the data analysis a normolipidemic patient who had a significant weight loss during the study and the hypertriglyceridemic patient, the fall in apo A-I during Depo-provera treatment was no longer statistically significant. We conclude that short-term, pharmacological doses of progesterone significantly reduce plasma concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and LDL apo B in men.

Clinical and metabolic effects of Gynodian-depot in vegetoneurotic disorders following removal of uterine myoma in menopausal patients

Clinical and metabolic effects of depot-injections of estradiol valerianate-dehydroepiandrosterone enanthate at a 1:50 ratio (Gynodian-depot) in the treatment of severe clinical manifestations of the vegetoneurotic syndrome were evaluated in menopuasal patients after hysterectomy for uterine myoma. Favourable comprehensive effects of the drug were noted, which in most patients contributed to the elimination or significant alleviation of major vegetoneurotic, psychoemotional and metabolic-endocrine disorders. An effective combination of the estrogenic and androgenic hormonal components and their ratios, coupled with very insignificant side-effects, is an important advantage of the drug, permitting its large-scale use for the control of menopausal complications, particularly after surgery for a uterine tumour.

Effect of estrogen on fasting serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in postmenopausal women

Sixty postmenopausal women with climacteric symptoms were treated with either clonidine hydrochloride or piperazine estrone sulfate in two different dosage strengths. Neither drug had an adverse effect on serum lipid levels and there was no significant change in the serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels during treatment.

Comparative studies of the ethynyl estrogens used in oral contraceptives. VII. Effects with and without progestational agents on ultracentrifugally fractionated plasma lipoproteins in humans, baboons, and beagles

Ethynyestradiol and mestranol, in doses ranging from 50 to 100 microgram/day, were given to women in 21-day cycles; baboons and beagle dogs received 1 and 4 microgram/kg/day in a similar regimen. After a number of such cycles, megestrol acetate, norethindrone acetate, or dl-norgestrel was given concomitantly. Protein, cholesterol, triglyceride, and phospholipid levels were determined in total plasma and in ultracentrifugally separated lipoprotein fractions. Over the dosage range studied, the effects of the two kinds of estrogen were indistinguishable. Except for human total plasma triglyceride, no dose-related differences were observed. The lowering of serum protein and the increase in cholesterol induced by estrogen were more pronounced in baboons and beagles than in human subjects. The cholesterol-depressing effect of progestational compounds observed in humans was very pronounced in baboons but absent in beagles. In all three species, estrogen increased the lipoprotein fraction cholesterol, except for human low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which was decreased. Human plasma triglyceride and phospholipid increased on estrogen administration and were decreased by the progestins; in the two animal species, triglyceride is normally very low and the estrogen-induced changes were negligible; the phospholipid rose with estrogen but was unaffected by progestins. In sum, the two animal species show many similarities to, as well as important differences from, the human response of plasma lipids to various contraceptive steroids.

[Metabolic studies under administration of oral contraceptives. A review]

The use of oral contraceptives can produce changes in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Responsible for the alterations seems to be the used oestrogen- and gestagen derivative and not so much the type of the contraceptive. The most frequent findings are raised serum-glucose-, insulin-, and triglyceride levels; disturbances in protein-metabolism increase the risk of developing thrombosis and hypertonia. Little is known about the significance of oral contraceptives on the vitamin- and mineral metabolism--yet extreme deficiencies have not been observed so far. Oral contraceptives can become an extra risk factor when given to women with metabolic disturbances.

Effect of progestins on glucose and lipid metabolism

Gestamimetic amounts of progesterone enhance basal and glucose-stimulated insulin production. Contraceptive doses of synthetic progestins cause a moderate increase or no change in glucose-stimulated insulin production, depending on route of administration and species tested. Estrogens potentiate the insulinotropic effects of progesterone and the synthetic progestins. Basal serum triglyceride concentrations are generally unaffected by progesterone or 17 alpha-acetoxyprogesterone treatment but may decrease during 19-nortestosterone administration. Glucose tolerance does not change during treatment with gestamimetic doses of progesterone alone but may improve in rats and monkeys during concurrent estrogen administration. By contrast, deterioration of glucose tolerance is observed in women treated concurrently with synthetic estrogen plus 19-nortestosterone derivatives and, occasionally, with 19-nortestosterone derivatives alone. No consistent changes in glucose metabolism have been observed after treatment with 17 alpha-acetoxyprogesterone derivatives alone. The cause of the species-related differences in glucose metabolism during 19-nortestosterone treatment is obscure.

Response of serum cholesterol and triglycerides to hormone treatment and the relation of pretreatment values to mortality in patients with prostatic cancer

Cholesterol and triglycerides were measured in plasma samples from patient with cancer of the prostate before and after 3 months treatment with either Premarin, Provera, Provera and diethylstilbestrol, or diethylstilbestrol alone. Cholesterol was also measured before and after one of three doses of diethylstilbestrol or placebo. Pretreatment cholesterol levels at 196 +/- 1.3 mg per 100 ml (X +/- SE, N = 1093) were significantly lower than these reported for similar age group noncancer controls. Significant increases occurred with some of the estrogen treatments. Pretreatment cholesterol levels showed a significant negative correlation with age in Stage III and IV patients of both studies and a positive correlation with hemoglobin in Stage III patients of both studies. Pretreatment triglyceride levels at 120 +/- 1.9 mg per 100 ml (X +/- SE, N = 1089) were similar to levels reported for noncancer controls of similar age. Estrogen treatment produced a significant increase in triglyceride levels. Serum triglycerides were significantly correlated with hemoglobin, weight, and cholesterol and negatively correlated with age, Analysis of covariance for both cholesterol and triglycerides showed highly significant treatment effects, but no stage effects and no stage-treatment interactions. It showed that the pretreatment value is of extreme importance for predicting or explaining the 3-month value. Death rates were calculated by level of pretreatment cholesterol or pretreatment triglycerides for all Stage II and IV patients, all treatments combined, and for Study 2 and Study 3 separately. No consistent trends were evident for cholesterol. Spearman correlation coefficients between category of initial triglyceride value and rank of death rate were computed to test for a quadratic effect. When the absolute values of the initial triglyceride values minus the overall mean were correlated with the death rate, a significant negative correlation was found for all causes of death and for deaths due to cardiovascular disease and prostatic cancer. These results indicate that the death rate is highest near the overal mean for initial triglyceride values and decreases as the initial values deviate above or below the mean. Initial triglyceride levels appear to have potential as indicators of risk of death in patients with prostatic cancer. The percentage of patients dead at 1 year by initial triglyceride levels, measured only in Study 3, revealed a pattern similar to that observed for the death rate, that is, the highest percentages were associated with values near the overall mean.

Effect of contraceptive steroids on serum lipids

Serum triglycerides, free fatty acids, phospholipids, and cholesterol were estimated in groups of women who were taking either norgestrel, megestrol acetate, daily combination tablet, once-a-month pill, or once-a-month injection as a method of contraception. These estimations were done prior to and during therapy at specific times over a period of 2 years. A significant reduction in serum lipids was observed in women taking norgestrel. The women on megestrol acetate showed practically no changes. All the lipid fractions were significantly elevated in women taking combination pills. Raised serum cholesterol was observed in women receiving once-a-month injection.

The effect of combination and low dose progestogen oral contraceptives on serum lipids

Fasting serum triglyceride, free fatty acid, phospholipid, and cholesterol levels were determined in women who were taking either combination or low dose progestogen oral contraceptives. The contraceptives used were: ethynodiol diacetate and ethynyl estradiol; norgestrel and ethynyl estradiol; norgestrel; and megestrol acetate. Serum lipids significantly increased in women taking combination pills. They significantly decreased in patients taking norgestrel, while they remained almost unchanged in patients taking megestrol acetate. This decrease varied with the type of progestogen used in continuous low dosage therapy. The confusion when interpreting the results from different reports on the effects of oral contraceptives on serum lipids will be reduced if proper attention is given to the types of steroid used.