Investigation of the liver glycogen level in rats treated with anticonceptives

Abstract

The results of our experiments with carbohydrate metabolism confirmed that 1. the gestagen component of norethynodrel (Infecundin) causes a more explicit increase of the liver glycogen level than that of ethynodioldiacetate (Bisecurin); 2. among oestrogens mestranol (Infecundin) gives a higher glycogen production in the liver than ethinyloestradiol (Bisecurin); 3. the greatest increase of liver glycogen level is in the course of the acute (14 days') treatment period; 4. the active substances of Infecundin (first of all mestranol) produce a longer lasting effect on the quantity of liver glycogen than those of Bisecurin; 5. to this action of the drug molecules of both anticonceptives (Infecundin, Bisecurin) there is a tendency to habituation. After a treatment lasting 48 days, the liver glycogen level in comparison with the control did but slightly increase; 6. evaluable changes occur sooner in the glycogen level of rats treated with hormonal contraceptives prior to the generally used so-called liver function test becoming positive.