Concentrations of unconjugated estrone, estradiol, androstenedione and testosterone in ovarian and peripheral venous plasma in women: The effects of steroid contraceptives

The concentrations of unconjugated estrone, estradiol, testosterone and androstenedione were measured in peripheral and ovarian venous plasma collected from 17 women treated with one of the following contraceptives: intramuscular medroxyprogesterone, oral chlormadinone or ethynodiol diacetate with mestranol. Estradiol in both ovarian and peripheral plasma was low; in all cases it was below the mean for 18 normal women. In ovarian venous plasma the levels of estrone were higher than those of estradiol in 7 of the 11 women treated with chlormadinone or ethynodiol and mestranol while in the 5 women treated with medroxyprogesterone estradiol was higher than estrone, as is found in untreated women. The principal change in the C₁₉ steroids was a decreased concentration of androstenedione in ovarian venous plasma. This was especially evident in women treated with ethynodiol and mestranol. Testosterone levels were comparable to those of untreated subjects.