Functional status of the pituitary-adrenal axis during treatment of RU486 for termination of early pregnancy in combination with PGs in Chinese women.
Six pregnant women (below 49 days of amenorrhea) desiring pregnancy termination received 600 mg RU486 orally in a single dosage and 1 mg PG-05 or ONO-802 as vaginal suppository 48 h afterward. Plasma cortisol, corticosterone, aldosterone and ACTH were monitored at -0.5, 1, 2, 4, 10, 24, 48, 72 h as well as during the first follow-up visit at the 8th day. Cortisol increased during the treatment and the values returned to the pretreatment level by the first follow-up visit. The changes of corticosterone were similar to those of cortisol. ACTH was also elevated within first 2 h and returned to the basal level at 48 h. There was no notable change in aldosterone during the treatment. The results suggest that a compensation of the pituitary-adrenal function occurred during the treatment, which is probably associated with a decreased negative feedback mechanism of cortisol due to the antiglucocorticosteroid activity of RU486 at the hypothalamus level.
Yang
X L
XL
Family Planning Research Institute, Tongji Medical University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Wu
X R
XR
D000019:Abortifacient Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood; D002681:China; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004963:Estrenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007700:Kinetics; D015735:Mifepristone; D010570:Pessaries; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000019:Abortifacient Agents; D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal; D004963:Estrenes; D011453:Prostaglandins; D015735:Mifepristone; D000450:Aldosterone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone