Changes in blood lipids after administration of female sex hormones in normotensive and hypertensive female rats

ABSTRACT

A comparative study between estrogen [E] progesterone [P] and combined EP effects on serum lipids and lipoprotein was accomplished. The results obtained revealed that estrogen behaves as antiatherogenic hormone. Estrogen decreased plasma-total cholesterol and LDL- cholesterol, meanwhile, an increase in HDL-cholesterol was measured in both normotensive and hypertensive rats due to estrogen treatment. On the other hand, progesterone as well as combined estrogen and progesterone treatment led to rise in plasma total cholesterol triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol with concomitant decrease in HDL- cholesterol in both groups. The presented data indicated that hypertension did not produce appreciable alteration to estrogen and progesterone responses. Besides, some of the observed side effects frequently observed in contraceptive pill users could be explained on the light of the obtained results: