title: Effects of an oral contraceptive on hepatic size and antipyrine metabolism in premenopausal women.
abstract: Liver volume and antipyrine disposition have been investigated in healthy premenopausal women who received 30 microgram ethinyl oestradiol + 500 microgram dl-norgesterol as an oral contraceptive. Six months' treatment was associated with a 17% increase in liver volume while no change occurred in age-matched control subjects. In the same subjects the contraceptive decreased antipyrine clearance by 21%. Thus the contraceptive markedly reduced drug-metabolizing activity per unit volume of liver by 33%. In additional subjects, discontinuation of the contraceptive resulted in a 30% increase in antipyrine clearance. These observations confirm that conventional oral contraceptive therapy to premenopausal women increases hepatic size and that it is a potent inhibitor of drug-metabolizing activity.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000983:Antipyrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008593:Menopause; D009644:Norgestrel / Q000494:pharmacology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D009644:Norgestrel; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D000983:Antipyrine