Effect of Ethinyl Estradiol on Plasma 17-Hydroxycorticosteroids, ACTH Responsiveness and Hydrocortisone Clearance in Man.

Abstract

Ethinyl estradiol (0.1 and 0.5 mg/day) caused elevations in plasma 17-hydroxycorticosteroid (17-OHCS) levels in 18 post-menopausal females and in 2 of 3 patients with hypopituitarism. No such rise occurred in a male addisonian. Augmented plasma 17-OHCS responses to a standard 6-hour ACTH infusion occurred during ethinyl estradiol therapy in all post-menopausal females and in 1 of 2 patients with hypopituitarism tested. A marked delay in rate of plasma clearance of infused hydrocortisone in 4 patients so studied suggested that ethinyl estradiol caused an alteration in hydrocortisone metabolism rather than an increased adreno-cortical responsiveness.