Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026

An In Vivo Estrogen Deficiency Mouse Model for Screening Exogenous Estrogen Treatments of Cardiovascular Dysfunction After Menopause
Published on: August 13, 2019
The effects of low dose norethisterone on biochemical variables in postmenopausal women
F Scopacasa1, M Horowitz, A G Need
1Division of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Adelaide, Australia.
Norethisterone 2.5 mg/day was administered to 26 postmenopausal women (aged 54-79 years) with varying degrees of osteoporosis and with a forearm bone mineral density value more than 2 SD below the young normal mean. Fasting blood and urine samples were collected and radiocalcium absorption measured at baseline and after treatment for a median period of 4 months. There were significant falls in serum calcium and its fractions, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase and cholesterol (HDL and LDL), and significant rises in serum chloride and parathyroid hormone. In the urine, there were significant falls in calcium, sodium and hydroxyproline. These changes were in close agreement with our previously reported responses to norethisterone 5 mg/day. We conclude that norethisterone in a dose of 2.5 mg/day is probably as effective as 5 mg/day in reducing bone resorption in postmenopausal women with low bone density.
Norethisterone 2.5 mg/day was administered to 26 postmenopausal women (aged 54-79 years) with varying degrees of osteoporosis and with a forearm bone mineral density value more than 2 SD below the young normal mean. Fasting blood and urine samples were collected and radiocalcium absorption measured at baseline and after treatment for a median period of 4 months. There were significant falls in serum calcium and its fractions, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase and cholesterol (HDL and LDL), and significant rises in serum chloride and parathyroid hormone. In the urine, there were significant falls in calcium, sodium and hydroxyproline. These changes were in close agreement with our previously reported responses to norethisterone 5 mg/day. We conclude that norethisterone in a dose of 2.5 mg/day is probably as effective as 5 mg/day in reducing bone resorption in postmenopausal women with low bone density.
Related Concept Videos
Hormonal Regulation
Transducer Mechanism: Nuclear Receptors
About 48 different soluble family members of nuclear receptors are identified that can be divided into two main classes:
Menopause
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Affecting Factors

