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Effects of Menstrual Cycle and Female Sex Steroids on Ethanol Pharmacokinetics
Author(s) -
Mumenthaler Martin S.,
Taylor Joy L.,
O'Hara Ruth,
Fisch HansUlrich,
Yesavage Jerome A.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1999.tb04107.x
Subject(s) - pharmacokinetics , luteal phase , menstrual cycle , ovulation , ethanol , medicine , physiology , endocrinology , chemistry , follicular phase , hormone , biochemistry
This study investigated the influence of menstrual cycle and female sex steroid levels on ethanol pharmacokinetics. In a within‐subjects design, 24 female volunteers each consumed 0.67 g. kg ‐1 ethanol during the menstrual and luteal phases of their menstrual cycle. On each test day, we collected blood samples before ethanol administration to determine estradiol (E 2 ) and progesterone (P) levels and to confirm ovulation. We took 20 or more postdrink breath ethanol concentration readings and examined pharmacokinetic differences between the two phases, using classical pharrnacokinetic measures, as well as Michaelis‐Menten measures. Despite highly significant differences in measured E 2 as well as P levels on the 2 test days, and despite excluding subjects with anovulatory cycles from the analysis, there were no significant differences between menstrual and luteal phases for any of the pharmacokinetic variables. We found no correlation between E 2 or P levels and any of the pharmacokinetic measures. In summary, we found no evidence that the tested menstrual cycle phases or varying E 2 and progesterone levels significantly influence ethanol pharmacokinetics. Because previous studies about the topic have used few subjects and revealed controversial results, we consider our negative findings based on 24 subjects meaningful.