title: Influence of the maturity of the vaginal epithelium upon the absorption of vaginally administered estradiol-17 beta and progesterone in postmenopausal women.
abstract: Serum concentrations of estradiol-17 beta and its metabolites estrone (unconjugated) and total estrone (mainly estrone sulfate) and of progesterone were measured before and after application of one vaginal suppository containing 250 micrograms estradiol-17 beta and 10 mg progesterone to 10 previously unsubstituted healthy postmenopausal women with normal pretreatment serum steroid levels. Vaginal hormone cytology was performed prior to administration of the estrogen-progesterone combination. An atrophic vaginal mucosa was found in 5 and a moderate proliferation in the other 5 women. A significant association was found between proliferation and pretreatment values of estrone, but not with other steroids. There was a clear, significant association between steroid absorption kinetics and the condition of the vaginal mucosa as indicated by cytological data: significantly higher absorption was found in women with an atrophic vaginal mucosa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pschera
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hjerpe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Carlström
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000368:Aged; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004970:Estrone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010570:Pessaries; D011374:Progesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014621:Vagina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D004970:Estrone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; C017296:estrone sulfate