Influence of female sex hormones on liver function in normotensive and doca-salt hypertensive female rats

ABSTRACT

Effects of estrogen, progesterone, and combined estrongen-progesterone on hepatic functions were studied. Serum glutamyl pyruvate transferase [SGPT], glutamyl oxaloacetic transferase [SGOT], and alkaline phosphatase were significantly elevated in normotensive as well as hypertensive groups as a result of estrogen and progesterone treatment. While serum albumin revealed non-significant changes in all groups. Histological studies revealed slight dilatation in central vein and blood sinusoids due to estrogen and progesterone treatment in normotensive groups. Whereas marked dilated central vein and blood sinusoids and disappearance of some nuclei of hepatic cells were observed in hypertensive group treated with combined estrogen-progesterone. It is concluded that some of the observed side effects frequently observed in contraceptive pill users could be explained on the light of the obtained results: