Biochemical effects of treatment with oral contraceptive steroids on the dopaminergic system of the rat.
The effects of acute and chronic administration of a combination of lynestrenol-mestrenol, a widely employed contraceptive medication, on the dopaminergic system of the rat forebrain and striatum were investigated to better understand the biochemical basis of the neurological side-effects of steroid contraceptive drugs (SCDs). Both acute and chronic treatment increased the disappearance rate of striatal dopamine (DA) after synthesis blockade with alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (alpha-MpT). Moreover, the conversion of 3H-tyrosine (3H-T) into 3H-DA was increased in the forebrain and striatum after chronic administration of this steroid combination. In the same animals, the utilization of tyrosine (T) is increased.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008234:Lynestrenol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008656:Mestranol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008781:Methyltyrosines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects*; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D008781:Methyltyrosines; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D014443:Tyrosine; D008656:Mestranol; D008234:Lynestrenol; D004298:Dopamine