title: Estrogen replacement therapy after the menopause. Estrogenicity and metabolic effects.
abstract: Certain metabolic effects were investigated in post-menopausal women undergoing oral estrogen replacement therapy for 6 months using various substances. The increases in serum concentration of the estrogen-sensitive proteins, pregnancy zone protein (PZP), and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) had very similar and dose-dependent patterns. Ethinyl-estradiol was found to be much more potent than the "natural" estrogens. Estriol in various doses did not increase the protein level. Gonadotropin inhibition occurred in a dose-dependent manner. In terms of FSH suppression ethinyl-estradiol was approximately 120 times as potent as the "natural" estrogens. There was a striking resemblance between the "estrogenicity" of four different estrogens when expressed both in inhibition of gonadotropins and in induction of the two serum proteins SHBG and ceruloplasmin. Estriol caused a significant depression of FSH when given orally in a dose of 2 mg three times daily. Prolactin was found to decrease during treatment with low doses of estrogens. Estrogen therapy was found to have only moderate effects on adrenal androgens. Tamoxifen, and anti-estrogen, was found to exert distinctly estrogenic effects during treatment of post-menopausal women. In post-menopausal women with low amounts of circulating estrogens the tamoxifen-receptor complex itself may produce a net estrogenic response. Serum samples from post-menopausal women treated with ethinyl estradiol 0.05 mg and estrone sulphate 2.5 mg daily were found to reduce the lymphocyte reactivity in mixed lymphocyte cultures.
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000368:Aged; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008593:Menopause / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013629:Tamoxifen; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone