title: Vitamin A transporting plasma proteins and female sex hormones.
abstract: Retinol-binding protein, prealbumin, and sex steroid plasma levels have been estimated daily in four women during the course of a normal menstrual cycle and in three women during treatment with combined oral contraceptives. The retinol-binding protein level showed a bicyclic variation during the menstrual cycle, whereas for prealbumin no consistent pattern of variation was observed. Oral contraceptive therapy induced a significant increase of retinol-binding protein which was correlated with the increase of vitamin A. The increase was about 35% for the formulation containing synthetic estrogen as compared with 15% for the one with natural estrogen. In relation to retinol-binding protein, the plasma level of prealbumin showed a less rapid increase but the final increment after oral contraceptive therapy appeared to be of the same magnitude for both proteins.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined / Q000494:pharmacology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008598:Menstruation; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D004967:Estrogens; D011228:Prealbumin; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014801:Vitamin A; D011374:Progesterone