Effect of depot medroxyprogesterone [DMPA] on body weight and serum lipid profile in adult female rats

ABSTRACT

Depo Provera [Medroxyprogesterone Acetate, DMPA] is a long-acting, injectable progesterone derivative contraceptive that is currently used by 30 million women in 90 countries, including Egypt, United States and Canada. DMPA classified as sex hormone binding globulin [SHBG]. The objective of this study was to investigate body weight and serum lipid profile following treatment of rats with the injectable contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, [Depo Provera; DMPA]. Adult female rats [Rattus norvigcus] were treated with a single dose of DMPA that is comparable to the weight-corrected dose in humans [2.7 mg/rat or 5.4 mg/rat] and sacrificed on day ten or fifteen post treatment. Body weights were recorded and sera from both treated and control groups studied for lipid profile using a colorometric method. Treating animals with 2.7 mg/rat or 5.4 mg/rat of DMPA for 10 and 15 days led to a dose-related increase in the body weights [maximum 24.77%]. There was increase in total lipids [TL], triglycerides [TG], total cholesterol [TC] as well as low density-lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] and very low density lipoprotein [VLDL-C]. On the other hand, a marked decrease was found in high density-lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C] in the DMPA-treated groups. Statistical analysis indicated that these changes were significant [p < 0.01] in all treated groups compared to control ones. We concluded that, this preliminary study indicates a long-term atherogenic role for DMPA