Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Levonorgestrel. Clinical pharmacokinetics

K Fotherby1

  • 1Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, England.

Clinical Pharmacokinetics
|March 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

This review examines levonorgestrel pharmacokinetics, noting significant variability in serum concentrations and parameters across studies. Factors influencing this variability, beyond sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), remain largely undiscovered.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Partial pituitary ablation with implants of gold-198 and yttrium-90 for Cushing's syndrome with associated adrenal hyperplasia.

British medical journal·2010
Same author

Can a change in screening and prescribing practice reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism in women taking the combined oral contraceptive pill?

The British journal of family planning·1999
Same author

Recommendations for clinical practice: actinomyces like organisms and intrauterine contraceptives. The Clinical and Scientific Committee.

The British journal of family planning·1999
Same author

Metabolic interrelationships, cardiovascular disease, and sex steroids.

Contraception·1998
Same author

Bioavailability of orally administered sex steroids used in oral contraception and hormone replacement therapy.

Contraception·1996
Same author

Guidelines for prescribing combined oral contraceptives.

BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·1996

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology and Drug Metabolism
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Levonorgestrel is a widely used progestogen, often administered alone or with ethinylestradiol.
  • Understanding its pharmacokinetics is crucial for optimizing therapeutic efficacy and safety.
  • Existing data show considerable variability in levonorgestrel serum concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review published data on serum concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters of levonorgestrel.
  • To identify factors contributing to inter- and intra-individual variability in levonorgestrel pharmacokinetics.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of published studies on levonorgestrel pharmacokinetics.
  • Inclusion of data from various administration routes (oral, subcutaneous, intravaginal, intra-uterine).
  • Analysis of pharmacokinetic parameters and serum concentrations reported in the literature.

Main Results:

  • Significant variability observed in levonorgestrel serum concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters across studies.
  • Large interindividual variability in levonorgestrel pharmacokinetics is consistently demonstrated.
  • Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) plays a role due to strong binding and SHBG level influences, but does not explain all variability.

Conclusions:

  • The factors responsible for the substantial inter- and intra-individual variability in levonorgestrel pharmacokinetics are not fully elucidated.
  • While sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is implicated, it does not account for all observed anomalies in levonorgestrel metabolism.
  • Further research is needed to identify all factors influencing levonorgestrel pharmacokinetics.

Related Experiment Videos