Effects of synthetic progestational steroids on liver and serum lipids in rats

Effects of norethisterone (NT) purified norethisterone (pure NT), norethynodrel (NE), medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP), chlormadinone acetate (CMA) and desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) on serum and liver lipid levels and serum lipoproteins were examined in both intact and estradiol-treated male rats. NT and NE caused a decrease in serum cholesterol and phospholipid levels, an increase in liver cholesterol level, no significant change in triglyceride levels of both serum and liver, with a significant change in serum lipoprotein patterns; a decreased in alpha- and beta-lipoproteins and a marked increase in pre beta-lipoprotein. Pure NT decreased serum cholesterol without causing any change in lipoprotein pattern. MAP, CMA and DOCA causee almost no effect on lipid levels in serum and liver, but CMA and DOCA increased alpha-lipoprotein and decreased beta- and pre beta-lipoproteins. An acute treatment with estradiol caused a decrease in alpha- and beta-lipoproteins and an increase in pre beta-lipoprotein with a decrease in serum lipid levels and an increase in liver lipids. By contrary, a chronic treatment with a marked hypercholesterolemia. This increase of alpha-lipoprotein in estradiol-treated rats was prevented by NT and NE, not affected or rather decreased by MAP but further increased with CMA and DOCA. These data suggest that the effects of synthetic progestational steroids on lipids are classified into two groups, 19-nortestosterone derivatives and 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone derivatives including DOCA. The former caused a decrease in serum lipid levels with an increase of pre beta-lipoprotein and adecrease of alpha-lipoprotein. The latter caused almost no change or a slight increase in serum lipid levels with a decrease in pre beta-lipoprotein and an increase in alpha-lipoprotein, though it was not found in MAP.