title: The influence of sex hormones on the elimination kinetics of ethanol.
abstract: The goal of the investigation was to research the influence of sex hormones on the elimination kinetics of ethanol. Forty-seven healthy men (average age 25+/-6.1 years) and 61 healthy women (average age 24+/-2.4 years) received 0.79-0.95g of ethanol/kg body weight in the form of an alcohol beverage of their choice. The target concentration for both sexes was a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 1.10g/kg. Blood samples for the determination of the ethanol concentration followed in the elimination phase in 10-20min intervals. The sex hormone levels (estradiol, progesterone and testosterone) were determined concomitantly from the serum. In men, the mean testosterone concentration was 5.3+/-1.6ng/ml, the mean estradiol concentration was 34.6+/-13.6pg/ml and the mean progesterone concentration was 0.9+/-0.3ng/ml. In women, the mean estradiol concentration was 47.6+/-52.6pg/ml and the mean testosterone concentration was 0.8+/-0.4ng/ml. Progesterone displayed a so-called dummy effect in women. In the high progesterone group (n=11), the mean concentration was 11.1+/-3.5ng/ml and in the low progesterone group (n=50) the mean was 0.6+/-0.3ng/ml. The mean hourly elimination rate (beta60) was 0.1677+/-0.0311g/kg/h in men. In women, the mean hourly elimination rate was 0.2044+/-0.0414g/kg/h in the high progesterone group and 0.1850+/-0.0276g/kg/h in the low progesterone group (p<0.05). The beta60 for women in the low progesterone group was significantly higher than that of the men, whose progesterone levels fell within a similar range (p>0.01). These results allow one to conclude that the gender differences in the pharmacokinetics of ethanol can partly, but not completely, be explained by progesterone levels.
authors: Institute of Forensic Medicine and Traffic Medicine, University of Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany. Andrea_Dettling@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Dettling
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Skopp
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Graw
authors: H-Th
authors: HT
authors: Haffner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D000431:Ethanol