Therapeutic Sex Hormone Flashcards
Reproductive Hormones
Biosynthesis
- Cholesterol → pregnenolone → progesterone
- Can lead to production of 5 classes of steroids: estrogens, androgens, progestins, mineralocorticoid, glucocorticoid
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Progesterone produced 1° by the ovary, corpus luteum, and placenta
- Helps maintain pregnancy
- In ♀, estrogen produced by ovaries (follicle and corpus luteum) &
- *fetal-placenta unit**
- Estradiol = most potent estrogen analogue
-
Estrone and similar molecules generated peripherally via conversion of precursor androstenedione
- 1° mech. for estrogen synthesis in postmenopausal women
- 1° in adipose tissue
Reproductive Hormones
MOA
- Estrogens, progestins, and testosterone ⇒ specific nuclear receptors in cytosol
-
Hormone-receptor complex (dimer) ⇒ specific response elements on DNA ⇒ ∆ transcription
- Estrogen response element = ERE
-
Expression of coactivators and corepressors ⇒ another level of regulation
- Varies from tissue to tissue
- Binding of a selective estrogen receptor modifier (SERM) ⇒ ∆ conformation of estrogen receptor ⇒ allows binding of coactivator or corepressor
- Recruitment is tissue specific
- SERM’s can be antagonists in some tissues and agonists in other tissues
- Tamoxifen is an example of this
- Many effects of testosterone mediated by dihydrotestosterone
- Conversion via 5-α-reductase
- Separate receptors exist for all the steroid hormones
- Synthetic progesterone analogues can activate testosterone receptors ⇒ androgenic effects
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovary Axis
- Input via environmental cues → hypothalamus
- Transforms neural signals → neuropeptide output (GnRH)
- GnRH ⇒ ⊕ ant. pituitary ⇒ gonadotropins ⇒ ⊕ steroid hormone production & gamete development in ovaries and testis
- Follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) ⇒ ⊕ ovarian follicle development & estrogen synthesis in ♀ / ⊕ spermatogenesis in ♂
- Luteinizing hormone (LH) ⇒ ⊕ ovulation & luteinization in ♀ / ⊕ androgen synthesis in ♂
-
Ovarian steroid hormones:
- Prepares endometrial lining for pregnancy
- Feedback to hypothalamus and pituitary to regulate gonadotropins
- Many of steroid hormones synthesized locally, where they exert many of their physiological effects
- Circulating estrogen administered pharmacologically ⊗ FSH/LH secretion ⇒ ↓ local production of estrogen
Menstrual Cycle
Endocrine Control
- Start of menstrual cycle: low estrogen ⇒ ↑ FSH and LH secretion ⇒ maturation of several follicles
- Maturing follicles ⇒ estrogen ⇒ ↑ LH and FSH receptors ⇒ ↑ estrogen secretion
- One follicle supersedes others in estrogen secretion and responsiveness to LH and FSH
- ↑ Estrogen levels ⇒ ⊗ LH and FSH secretion ⇒ other follicles become atretic
- Estrogen causes proliferation of endometrial lining
- Brief ↑ in estrogen levels ⇒ ⊕ feedback of gonadotropin release ⇒ LH surge ⇒ ovulation
- Ruptured follicle → corpus luteum ⇒ estrogen and progesterone
- Progesterone ⇒ endometrial lining switches to secretory state
-
Corpus luteum life span ~ 14 days
- No fertilization ⇒ atresia
- Fertilization ⇒ implantation ⇒ blastocyst ⇒ human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
- hCG ⇒ ⊕ corpus luteum to continue to secrete progesterone ⇒ helps maintain pregnancy
Estrogen
Preparations
-
Conjugated equine estrogens (CEE)
- Premarin and Prempro
- Isolated from urine of pregnant mares
- Used for HRT
-
Synthetic estrogen
-
Ethinylestradiol
- Used in oral contraceptives
- ∆ 17 position ⇒ orally active
- Mestranol is a less commonly used prodrug for ethinylestradiol
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Ethinylestradiol
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Transdermal estradiol
- Used for HRT or contraception
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Estradiol cypionate and estradiol valerate
- Slowly absorbed after IM injections
Estrogens
Pharmacokinetics
-
Absorbed orally
- PO admin ⇒ high ratio of hepatic to peripheral effects
- ↑ Clotting factors and angiotensinogen
- PO admin ⇒ high ratio of hepatic to peripheral effects
- Transdermal patch avoids first pass metabolism
- Highly bound to sex steroid-binding globulin
- Widely distributed
- Concentrated in fat
-
Metabolized in the liver
- Ultimately conjugated to sulfate and glucuronide groups
- Enzyme inducing agents (phenytoin, rifampin) ⇒ ⊕ phase I metabolism of estrogens
-
Undergo enterohepatic cycling
- Conjugated estrogens excreted into bile
- Converted to free estrogen by intestinal bacteria
- Free estrogens reabsorbed
- Abx that disrupt intestinal bacteria ⇒ ⊗ enterohepatic circulation
Estrogens
Clinical Uses
- Replacement therapy: failure of ovarian development or removal of ovaries; hypopituitarism
- HRT in postmenopausal women
- Combined w/ progesterone analogue: oral contraception, acne, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis
- Palliative for androgen dependent prostate cancer
Estrogen
Adverse Effects
- Nausea, breast tenderness, edema
- ↑ Skin pigmentation, esp. in dark skinned women
- Migraine, headache
- HTN (d/t ↑ angiotensinogen)
- Breast cancer ⇒ avoid in women w/ fhx
- ↑ cholesterol excretion in bile ⇒ ↑ risk of gallstones or another gallbladder disease
- ↑ Serum-binding proteins (corticosteroid binding globulin, thyroid binding globulin, sex steroid binding globulin)
- Endometrial hyperplasia/cancer (if used w/o progesterone analogue in HRT)
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↑ blood coagulation (↓ Antithrombin III, ↑ factors II, VII, IX, X)
- 3x ↑ DVT risk
- Absolute risk is small and not related to age, parity, obesity, or cigarette smoking
- Risk is significantly ↑ in women who smoke or have other factors that predispose to thrombosis or thromboembolism
-
MI slightly ↑ in women who are obese and greatly elevated in
those who smoke- HTN and DM can ↑ risk
- ↑ Stroke risk for women over 35 y/o
Progestins
Preparations
-
Esters of progesterone
- Ex. medroxyprogesterone acetate
- Given PO or IM
- No androgenic activity
- Ex. medroxyprogesterone acetate
-
1st gen analogues:
-
Norgestrel and levonorgestrel
- Some androgenic activity
-
Norgestrel and levonorgestrel
-
2nd gen analogues:
-
Norethindrone
- Intermediate androgenic activity
-
Norethindrone
-
3rd gen analogues:
-
Desogestrel
- Lowest androgenic activity
- Not commonly used d/t ↑ risk of DVT
- Norgestimate
-
Drospirenone
- Spironolactone derivative w/ anti-aldosterone and anti-androgenic effects
- Component of some oral contraceptives
-
Desogestrel
Progestins
Pharmacokinetics
Similar to estrogen and its analogues
Progestins
Clinical Uses
-
Progesterone esters
- Used to suppress ovarian function
- Tx of uterine bleeding
-
Progesterone analogues
- Used in combination oral contraceptives
- HRT to ↓ possibility of endometrial cancer
Progestin-only Contraception
- Slows frequency of GnRH pulse generation and blunts LH surge
- Prevent ovulation in 70-80% of cycles
-
Effectiveness is 96-98%
- Other factors must play a role
- E.g. thickening of cervical mucous and atrophy of endometrium
- Lower progestin content vs combination pills
-
Two formulations: norgestrel (PO or subdermal) and norethindrone (PO)
- Used by breast-feeding women and those w/ contraindications to estrogens
- Must take @ exactly the same time every day
- > 3 hr delay ⇒ back up contraception for 7 days
- More irregular spotting and bleeding
Progesterone
Adverse Effects
-
Hirsutism
- Less common w/ new progestin agents, newer OC tx
-
Acne
- High estrogen content improves; androgenic progesterone may exacerbate
-
Weight gain
- Due to androgen component
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Glucose intolerance
- Less common w/ lower doses
-
↓ HDL and ↑ LDL
- Less common w/ lower doses
-
Breakthrough bleeding
- Most common w/ progestin only formulations and low dose formulations
- Depression
- Vaginitis and UTI
Combination Oral Contraceptives
MOA
Ethinylestradiol + Progesterone analogue
-
CNS effects:
- Hypothalamus and pituitary (1° site of action) ⇒ ⊗ LH surge ⇒ ⊗ ovulation
- Basal levels of LH and FSH suppressed in OCP users
-
Urogenital tract effects:
- Glandular atrophy in the uterine endometrium
- May ⊗ implantation
- Progesterone component ⇒ thick cervical mucous ⇒ ⊗ sperm motility and migration
Combination Oral Contraceptives
Administration Regimens
- Monophasic
-
Usu. given for 21 days followed by 7 days of placebo
- Hormone free interval (HFI) ⇒ ↑ FSH ⇒ menstrual flow
- Progesterone analogue ⇒ ⊗ estrogenic stimulation of proliferation of the endometrial lining ⇒ lighter menstrual flow
- Possible ovulation and ↑ estrogen
- Shorten HFI or add low level estrogen
- Reduces w/d sx
-
Di and Triphasic
- Estrogenic component constant
- Progesterone component initially low but ↑ through the cycle
- Theoretical advantage = ↓ overall hormones level
- ? Better for breakthrough bleeding
Monophasics w/ Drospirenone
Combination Oral Contraceptives
Yasmin (30 ug Ethinylestradiol + 3 mg drospirenone)
Yaz (20 ug Ethinylestradiol + 3 mg drospirenone)
- Given over 24 days w/ 4-day hormone-free period
-
Anti-mineralocorticoid activity
- Counteracts aldosterone-stimulating effects of estrogen
- Anti-androgenic activity ⇒ less acne and hirsutism
- Adverse effects:
- Excess potassium
- Risk of clots (? More than OCPs): MI, CVA, DVT, PE
- Falsely claimed better efficacy & failed to communicate risks
Extended
Combination Oral Contraceptives
- Longer cycle formulation
-
3 on the market:
-
Lybrel (20 ug/ethinylestradiol/90 ug levonorgestrel)
- Taken for 365 days
-
Seasonale (30 ug/ethinylestradiol/150 ug levonorgestrel)
- Taken for 84 days then 7 days are hormone-free
-
Seasonique (30 ug/ethinylestradiol/150 ug levonorgestrel)
- Taken for 84 days then 10 ug ethinylestradiol for 7 days
-
Lybrel (20 ug/ethinylestradiol/90 ug levonorgestrel)
-
Advantages:
-
Hormone-free interval eliminated to avoid menstruation
- Less likely to have HA
- Fewer premenstrual and menstrual sx (breast tenderness, bloating, cramps)
-
Hormone-free interval eliminated to avoid menstruation
-
Disadvantages:
- Unscheduled bleeding/spotting
- ↓ over time
- Pregnancy may be difficult to recognize
- Unscheduled bleeding/spotting
Combination Oral Contraceptives
Adverse Effects
Adverse effects are minimal if there are no predisposing factors
In the first 2-3 months of use, AE may include nausea, vomiting, and weight gain
Oral Contraceptives
Absolute Contraindications
- Breast CA or estrogen-dependent neoplasia
- Abnormal genital bleeding
- Hx of DVT or PE
- Hx of CVA or ischemic heart disease
- Benign or malignant liver tumors
- Heavy smokers over 35 y/o
- Women < 6 weeks postpartum who are breastfeeding
Oral Contraceptives
Other benefits
- Regulate periods for pts w/ menstrual disorders such as dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia
- ↓ Risk of ovarian, endometrial and colorectal cancers
- Some protection against ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cysts, PID, benign breast lumps and RA
Plan B
[Levonorgestrel]
- Morning-after Contraception
- MOA is unclear ⇒ may prevent ovulation, transport of the fertilized egg or implantation
- Must be given within 72 hours of unprotected sex
-
75-80% effective
- Effectiveness declines w/ time
- Most frequent AEs are cramping and nausea
Ella
[Ulipristal acetate]
- Morning-after Contraception
- Recently came on the market
-
Progesterone receptor modulator
- Similar in structure to RU-486
- Effective regardless of the time of the menstrual cycle
- May be effective as long as 5 days after intercourse
- AEs similar to levonorgestrel
Insertion of an IUD
- Morning-after Contraception
- Prevents implantation
- Requires a visit to the physician
Lunelle
(Contraceptive Injection)
- Non-oral combination contraceptives
- Contains medroxyprogesterone acetate (25 mg) and estradiol cypionate (5 mg)
- Administered by IM injection every 28 days
- First injection is administered 5 days after onset of menstrual period
- Very effective