title: Changes in relative fatty acid composition of serum lecithin and cholesterol ester after treatment with two gonane progestins administered alone and in combination with ethinyl estradiol.
abstract: Twenty women, oophorectomized as part of treatment for cervical carcinoma of the cervix participated in the study. Ten of them were given desogestrel (DG) 150 micrograms/day for 3 weeks followed by DG + 30 micrograms ethinyl estradiol (EE) for 6 weeks, and finally EE alone for 3 weeks. The other 10 women were given 150 micrograms levonorgestrel (NORG) and EE in a similar way. Before treatment and after each period of treatment the relative fatty acid composition of serum lecithin and serum cholesterol ester were assessed by gas-liquid chromatography. In both groups ethinyl estradiol, when administered alone, increased arachidonic acid in serum lecithin. This increase was not observed on the DG + EE or the NORG + EE combination indicating that both progestins counteracted this estrogenic effect.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002369:Castration; D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000097:blood*; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined / Q000494:pharmacology; D017135:Desogestrel; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016912:Levonorgestrel; D008875:Middle Aged; D009644:Norgestrel / Q000494:pharmacology; D009652:Norpregnenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000097:blood*; D045167:Progesterone Congeners / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D005227:Fatty Acids; D009652:Norpregnenes; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D045167:Progesterone Congeners; D009644:Norgestrel; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D016912:Levonorgestrel; D017135:Desogestrel