These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Serum levels of progesterone and some of its metabolites including deoxycorticosterone after oral and parenteral administration.
    Author: Ottoson UB, Carlstrom K, Damber JE, von Schoultz B.
    Journal: Br J Obstet Gynaecol; 1984 Nov; 91(11):1111-9. PubMed ID: 6498126.
    Abstract:
    Single 100-mg doses of progesterone were given orally and as intramuscular injections to four women during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. After oral administration serum levels of progesterone increased rapidly to reach luteal phase values (mean maximum level 55.6 nM) within 1-4 h and were still elevated after 12 h. The serum concentrations of 20 alpha-hydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one showed a similar pattern while there were only minor transient changes in 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone concentrations. The serum levels of cortisol and 4-androstene-3,17-dione were unaffected. In comparison, after intramuscular administration values two to three times higher than by the oral route were achieved. A significant increase in serum deoxycorticosterone was recorded in all women. The mean ratio between the change in deoxycorticosterone and progesterone was increased after oral administration. Oral treatment with natural progesterone may develop into an attractive alternative to synthetic progestogens but the conversion of progesterone into a potent mineralocorticoid may be a potential disadvantage. The feasibility of using the recently developed orally active micronized progesterone preparations as substitutes for synthetic progestogens in orally administered therapies was examined by comparing the metabolism of progesterone following orally administered and intramuscularly injected single 100 mg doses of progesterone to 4 women during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Attention was focused on assessing the degee to which the progesterone was converted into other hormones, which might limit the clinical value of the oral progesterone preparations. 4 female staff members of the University Hospital of Umea, Sweden were injected with single doses of 100 mg of progesterone on the 7th or 8th mentrual cycle day, following an overnight fast. A month later they were given single doses of 100 mg of orally administered micronized progesterone (Utrogestan). 3 pretreatment venous blood samples were drawn 48 hours, 24 hours, and immediately prior to administration of the pregesterone, and 8 venous blood samples were drawn throughout the 48 hours following treatment. The samples were assayed to determine the blood serum concentrations of; 1) proegesterone, 2) 20 alpha-hydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (20 DHP), 3) 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), 4) 4-androstene-3,17-dione (A-4), 5) cortisol, and 6) 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC). The serum concentration values were then compared with established reference values for each steroid. Following oral administration, progesterone serum levels quickly increased and reached luteral phase reference values within 1-4 hours. The mean maximum value was 55.6 nM. The level then declined, but remained significaly high for 1i hours following administration. 20-DHO levels followed a similar pattern while 17-OHD values increased only briefly and did not exceed follicular reference values. Following intramuscular injection, progesterone levels increased repidly and peaked 8 hours after administration. The peak levels were 2.5 times higher than mid-luteal phase reference values, and the mean maximum level was 192 nM. A similar pattern was observed for 20-KHP. 17-OHP increased 1-12 hours following administration. No significant changes in the level of A-4 or cortisol were observed after either oral or parenteral administration of progesterone. After oral administration, DOC levels increased markedly within 30 minutes to 1 hours, peaked at 4 hours, and returned to normal levels within 10-12 hours. After injection, DOC levels also increased markedly but they increased more slowly, peaked at 8-12 hours, and remained elevated for 22 hours. The ratio of DOC to progesterone was different for orally administrated and intramuscularly injected progesterone. Serum concentrations of progesterone were much higher after progesterone waas in injected than after it was administered orally; however, the levels of DOC were similar for both and injected progesterone. Therefore, the mean ratio of DOC to progesterone was higher for orally administered progesterone than for injected progesterone. Oral progesterone preparations may be a feasible alternative to orally administered synthetic progesterons; however, the mineralocorticoid activity of DOC may alter the value of oral progesterone for clinical use.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]