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Results for “ETHINYL ESTRADIOL”

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PubMed2002

Effect of dietary administration of genistein, nonylphenol or ethinyl estradiol on hepatic testosterone metabolism, cytochrome P-450 enzymes, and estrogen receptor alpha expression.

The objective of this study was to examine effects of estrogenic agents of varying potencies (genistein, p-nonylphenol, and ethinyl estradiol) on hepatic testosterone metabolism, cytochrome P-450 (CYP450) enzymes, and ERalpha expression. These endpoints were examined as potential biomarkers of, and contributors to, endocrine disruptive activity. Exposure occurred during critical developmental periods, from gestational day 7 through weaning via the mothers' diet. Thereafter, rats were exposed via their diet to the compounds until puberty (postnatal day 50). Testosterone hydroxylase and 5alpha-reductase activities, CYP2C and CYP3A levels were determined. In general, the compounds were more active in male rats than female rats. The only effect observed in female rats was at the 250 ppm genistein dose, in which an approximately 40% increase in 5alpha-reductase activity was observed. In male rats, genistein treatment had mixed effects on testosterone metabolism. The 1250 ppm dose decreased both CYP2C and CYP3A protein levels. Nonylphenol had the most profound effects on testosterone metabolism and CYP450 expression in male rats, with effects occurring at doses as low as 25 ppm. An increase in 5alpha-reductase activity and a decrease in the formation of 16alpha-OH-, 2alpha-OH-testosterone metabolites, CYP2C and CYP3A protein were observed. EE2 decreased the formation of several testosterone metabolites and CYP2C protein. All compounds had some effect on hepatic ERalpha expression, although a consistent effect was not observed. This study demonstrates that the test compounds can influence hepatic testosterone hydroxylase activity and CYP450 expression, as well as ERalpha expression, although these activities cannot be directly related to estrogenic activity.

3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase↗

PubMed1982

Clinical trial of an oral contraceptive containing desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol.

A clinical trial involving 1,159 women who used the tested preparation for a total of 15,222 observed cycles showed an oral contraceptive containing 150 micrograms of desogestrel in combination with 30 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol to be highly effective. Desogestrel is a potent progestogen, which, at the doses used for oral contraception, is devoid of any androgenic activity. Cycle control during the trial was good. No serious side effects occurred, and the incidence of minor complaints was lower than during a nontreated control cycle.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Effects of a 1-year treatment with a low-dose combined oral contraceptive containing ethinyl estradiol and cyproterone acetate on glucose and insulin metabolism.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of the slightly estrogen-dominant monophasic low-dose oral contraceptive (OC) Diane-35 (Schering AG, Berlin, Germany) (35 micrograms ethinyl estradiol [EE2] + 2 mg cyproterone acetate, a 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone derivative [17-OHP]) on glucose and insulin metabolism. DESIGN: Seven healthy young women were investigated by using the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp technique (insulin delivery rate = 100 mU/kg per hour for 120 minutes). This test was performed, after an overnight fast, during the last 7 days of a spontaneous cycle and within the last 5 days of pill intake during the sixth and twelfth cycle of a continuous treatment with Diane-35 in each subject. RESULTS: The three indexes measuring the insulin-induced glucose disposal during the clamp (glucose infusion rate, glucose metabolic clearance rate, and glucose infusion rate divided by plasma insulin plateau levels) were not significantly affected by Diane-35. In contrast, the metabolic clearance rate of the exogenous insulin infused during the clamp tended to be slightly increased with Diane-35 (significant after 6 but not after 12 cycles). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that a 1-year treatment with the OC Diane-35, which contains EE2 + a 17-OHP rather than a 19-nortestosterone derivative as the progestogen compound, does not significantly alter peripheral (presumably muscular) insulin sensitivity but slightly increases insulin (presumably hepatic) clearance.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Cycle control with triphasic norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol, a new oral contraceptive agent.

Effective cycle control was demonstrated based on two multicenter, 2-year studies of the triphasic oral contraceptive (OC) agent containing the new progestin norgestimate. The estrogen in this OC is ethinyl estradiol. These open-label Phase III studies were conducted in the United States by 33 investigators at 33 sites who treated a total of 1,783 subjects, healthy women 17 to 38 years of age with menstrual cycle characteristics considered to be within the normal range. The norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol preparation was taken for up to 24 cycles. Follow-up information was collected 3 to 4 months post-treatment. Bleeding pattern analyses were based on 27,970 valid cycles. Normal cyclic bleeding patterns were experienced by most of the women during the study; only minimal and statistically and clinically insignificant variations in menstrual flow, dysmenorrhea, and premenstrual tension occurred. There was a low incidence of failed withdrawal bleeding in single cycles (less than 1.0% after cycle 6). There were no cases of amenorrhea, defined as two consecutive cycles of missed withdrawal flow. The incidence of breakthrough bleeding or spotting was highest during the initial treatment cycles and diminished with continued use of the formulation. The mean incidence of breakthrough bleeding was 2.36% in cycles 13 to 24. Apart from somewhat higher initial percentages among women new to oral contraception, the pattern of midcycle bleeding or spotting was similar to that of all women studied. Effective long-term cycle control was demonstrated in women who used this OC agent.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Decreased biliary glutathione content is responsible for the decline in bile salt-independent flow induced by ethinyl estradiol in rats.

Glutathione appears to be a major osmotic factor in the generation of bile salt-independent flow (BSIF). This study was designed to investigate its importance in the pathology of 17-alpha-ethinyl estradiol (EE)-induced cholestasis. Five-day EE treatment at the dose level of 5 mg/kg/day significantly decreased bile flow (57% of controls) and biliary glutathione secretion. Evaluation of the contribution of bile salt dependent flow (BSDF), glutathione dependent flow (GSDF) and the bile flow generated independently of both bile salts and glutathione (BS-GSIF) revealed that EE decreased all portions of the flow (63, 44 and 52% of control values, respectively). At 4 and 20 h after a single administration of the same EE dose, a significant diminution of bile flow was noted (decreases of 17 and 29%, respectively) in association with a significant fall in biliary glutathione content. Under these conditions, BSDF and BS-GSIF were not modified (98 and 112% of control BSDF values, respectively; 96 and 99% of control BS-GSIF values, respectively) while GSDF was decreased markedly, representing 65 and 50% of control values. Biliary glutathione secretion was diminished without modification of liver and blood glutathione concentration or redox status following single EE dose whereas, after 5 days of EE treatment, a significant increase in liver glutathione was observed, suggesting that EE may interfere with the glutathione secretory process. This study demonstrates that EE rapidly alters biliary glutathione content, leading to a marked decline in GSDF. This reduction may explain the decrease in BSIF produced by EE at the outset of cholestasis.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2006

Effects on cycle control and bodyweight of the combined contraceptive ring, NuvaRing, versus an oral contraceptive containing 30 microg ethinyl estradiol and 3 mg drospirenone.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to compare cycle control, cycle-related characteristics and bodyweight effects of NuvaRing with those of a combined oral contraceptive (COC) containing 30 microg of ethinyl estradiol and 3 mg of drospirenone. METHODS: A randomized, multicentre, open-label trial in which 983 women were treated (intent-to-treat population) with NuvaRing or the COC for 13 cycles. RESULTS: Breakthrough bleeding or spotting during cycles 2-13 was in general less frequent with NuvaRing than that with the COC (4.7-10.4%) and showed a statistically significant odds ratio of 0.61 (95% confidence interval: 0.46, 0.80) with longitudinal analysis. Intended bleeding was significantly better for all cycles with NuvaRing (55.2-68.5%) than that with the COC (35.6-56.6%) (P < 0.01). Changes from baseline in mean bodyweight and body composition parameters were relatively small for both groups with no notable between-group differences. CONCLUSION: NuvaRing was associated with better cycle control than the COC, and there was no clinically relevant difference between the two groups in bodyweight.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2001

Double-blind, multicenter comparison of efficacy, cycle control, and tolerability of a 23-day versus a 21-day low-dose oral contraceptive regimen containing 20 microg ethinyl estradiol and 75 microg gestodene.

This prospective, double-blind, randomized study was conducted to compare the contraceptive reliability, cycle control, and tolerability of a 23-day versus a 21-day oral contraceptive regimen containing 20 microg ethinyl estradiol and 75 microg gestodene. Participants took trial medication daily for 28 days, either 23 tablets with active substances plus 5 placebo tablets or 21 tablets with active substances plus 7 placebo tablets. Contraceptive efficacy, cycle control, and tolerability were evaluated over a period of seven cycles. Efficacy data gathered from 4,878 treatment cycles (23-day regimen: 2,362 cycles; 21-day regimen: 2,516 cycles) were obtained from 703 participants (23-day regimen, n = 342; 21-day regimen, n = 361). Both preparations proved to be effective contraceptives and provided good cycle control. One pregnancy because of method failure was recorded in each treatment group. This resulted in a study Pearl Index of 0.5 for each treatment. For the 23-day regimen, 36.0% of participants reported at least one intracyclic bleeding episode during Cycles 2-4 (primary target) compared to 37.1% in the 21-day regimen. In the 23-day regimen group, intracyclic bleeding episodes were reported by 42.4% of the participants in Cycle 1 but only in 14% in Cycle 7 and in the 21-day regimen group by 44.6% in Cycle 1 and only 17.3% in Cycle 7. Overall, intracyclic bleeding was reported in 21.9% of the 23-day regimen cycles and in 22.7% of the 21-day regimen cycles.A greater number of 23-day regimen participants had shorter withdrawal bleeding periods than with the 21-day regimen. In significantly (p <0.0001) more cycles in the 23-day regimen group, participants reported withdrawal bleeding periods that lasted only 1-4 days compared to the 21-day regimen group. For the majority of the treatment cycles, the median number of bleeding days in the 23-day regimen group was 4 days and in the 21-day regimen group 5 days. Both preparations were well tolerated and showed a similar adverse events pattern. The discontinuation rate because of adverse events was low (23-day regimen, 6%; 21-day regimen, 4%). No serious vascular adverse events were reported. More than 75% of the women in both groups either lost more than 2 kg of weight or did not gain weight during the study. The treatment effect on blood pressure was negligible. There were no appreciable changes in mean laboratory values over the course of the study.

Contraceptives, Oral↗

PubMed1985

Rat prostate as one of the target organs for 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl-induced carcinogenesis: effects of dietary ethinyl estradiol and methyltestosterone.

Twenty consecutive weekly sc injections of 50 mg/kg body weight of 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMAB), a multipotential carcinogen, were given to male F344 rats and subsequently groups of animals were treated with dietary ethinyl estradiol (EE, 2.5 ppm) or methyltestosterone (MT, 300 ppm) for up to 40 weeks. Prostate carcinomas were found in 4 out of 32 rats given DMAB followed by MT and in 2 out of 29 rats given DMAB alone. Atypical hyperplasia of the prostate epithelium in these two groups was found in 22% and 14%, respectively. Neither carcinoma nor atypical hyperplasia was seen in the prostate of animals given DMAB followed by EE. In other organs, tumors were frequently found in the ear duct, skin, and large intestine and less frequently in the lung, preputial glands, small intestine and liver. EE significantly suppressed tumor incidence of the ear duct and sebaceous glands while increasing the incidence of liver tumor and mesothelioma. The present data indicates DMAB to be a useful carcinogen for the induction of prostate carcinomas in rats.

Aminobiphenyl Compounds↗

PubMed1986

Effects of ethinyl estradiol and tamoxifen on liver DNA turnover and new synthesis and appearance of gamma glutamyl transpeptidase-positive foci in female rats.

We investigated possible mechanisms associated with promotion of hepatocarcinogenesis by the synthetic estrogens mestranol (M) and ethinyl estradiol (EE). Our first objective was to determine whether chronic EE treatment was associated with hepatotoxicity accompanied by regenerative hyperplasia. Female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were partially hepatectomized and their liver DNA prelabeled with [3H]thymidine. Two weeks later the rats were treated with EE at three doses or M (using timed-release tablets implanted s.c.) or with 0.05% phenobarbital (PB) in the diet. The rats were killed 6 weeks later and the amount of [3H]thymidine remaining in liver DNA determined. The results showed that none of the promoters caused hepatotoxicity as detected by the loss of prelabeled DNA. EE but not M or PB caused a dramatic dose-dependent enlargement of the pituitary. Subsequent experiments were carried out to define the dose-time response of liver DNA synthesis to treatment with EE, M and PB. Female SD rats were treated with these agents and [3H]-thymidine incorporation into DNA was determined at various times thereafter. The results showed that EE at 2.5 micrograms/day and PB (0.05%) caused a rapid increase in liver DNA synthesis which peaked between 24 and 72 h and remained elevated for at least the next 7 days. Dose-response experiments with EE- and M-treated rats demonstrated that 24 h after beginning treatment, significant increases in liver DNA synthesis could be detected at an EE dose as low as 0.1 microgram/day; DNA synthesis was also significantly increased by M. The anti-estrogen tamoxifen (T), did not cause increased liver DNA synthesis. However, T at 15 micrograms/day did inhibit the induction of DNA synthesis caused by EE and M at 2.5 micrograms/day but not by PB (0.05%). The effect of T on promotion by EE of the appearance of gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)-positive foci was determined. Female SD rats were initiated with a single i.p. dose of diethylnitrosamine at 20 mg/kg given 24 h after partial hepatectomy. One week later the rats were treated with EE (5 micrograms/day), T (15 or 50 micrograms/day) or EE plus T at both doses using timed-release tablets. The rats were killed after 4 months and the incidence, number and size of the GGT foci determined. The results revealed that, as expected, EE enhanced the appearance of GGT foci. Unexpectedly, T alone at both doses also enhanced the appearance of the foci.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Effects of the liver tumor promoter ethinyl estradiol on epidermal growth factor-induced DNA synthesis and epidermal growth factor receptor levels in cultured rat hepatocytes.

The objective of this study was to determine whether DNA synthesis induced in the livers of female rats treated with ethinyl estradiol (EE) was due to direct effects of this synthetic estrogen on hepatocytes. Hepatocytes, obtained by collagenase perfusion from female Lewis rats, were cultured in serum-free medium containing low or no phenol red and supplemented with insulin, transferrin, and selenium. When present at 10-15 microM for the initial 30 h of culture, EE caused a subsequent 2-2.7-fold increase in hepatocyte DNA synthesis. Pretreatment of the hepatocytes with EE during the first 30 h of culture caused an EE concentration-dependent enhancement of their subsequent DNA synthetic response to epidermal growth factor (EGF). Pretreatment with EE shifted the EGF dose-response curve, causing a dramatic enhancement of the response to EGF beginning at 2 ng EGF/ml. The response to a saturating (25 ng/ml) dose of EGF was also greatly enhanced. Determination of the effect of EE on hepatocyte surface EGF receptors revealed that the increased responsiveness of DNA synthesis to EGF was accompanied by a twofold increase in EGF receptor number per cell. These results indicate that EE has direct, growth-related effects on hepatocytes which may contribute to liver growth induced in vivo by this tumor promoter.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Oral contraceptive tablets containing 20 and 30 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol with 150 micrograms desogestrel. Their influence on lipids, lipoproteins, sex hormone binding globulin and testosterone.

The effect of two oral contraceptive (OC) pills, both containing 150 micrograms of desogestrel, but with 20 (Mercilon) or 30 micrograms (Marvelon/Desolett) of ethinyl estradiol on plasma levels of lipids, lipoproteins and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), total and free testosterone were compared in a double-blind, randomized, two-center study in a total of 60 women over one year. A significant rise with Marvelon but not with Mercilon was seen in total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, HDL-3 and apolipoprotein B, whereas LDL cholesterol decreased with Mercilon only. These effects resulted in significant differences between the two groups in the magnitude of responses in all these parameters except HDL-3. HDL-2, apolipoprotein A-1 and total phospholipids were elevated with both pills after treatment and with no difference in the degree of response between groups. The HDL/LDL cholesterol ratio tended to increase in both groups and that of apolipoproteins A-1/B in the women on Mercilon. Total triglycerides increased in both groups, but more in the women on Marvelon. Total testosterone decreased, particularly in the Marvelon group, whereas the two pills caused a similar increase in SHBG and decrease in free testosterone. It is concluded that the direction of changes in plasma lipids and lipoproteins with both these pills may as a whole be interpreted as beneficial, and that the differences in effect on LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B may suggest a slightly advantageous effect of Mercilon in this aspect. However, the clinical significance of these changes is uncertain. The results indicate a lack of androgenicity of both pills.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Concentration of ethinyl estradiol in the serum of 31 young women following a treatment period of 3 months with two low-dose oral contraceptives in an intraindividual cross-over design.

Two low-dose oral contraceptives, both containing the same dose of ethinyl estradiol (EE2) but different progestins (gestodene and desogestrel, respectively), were compared with respect to the relative bioavailability of EE2. The study was conducted with 31 women as an open intraindividual comparison with the ingestion of both preparations for 3 months, respectively. On days 1, 10 and 21 of the 1st, 3rd and 6th cycle, blood was sampled at 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 24 h following administration. The concentrations of EE2 were determined in the serum samples of each individual and the area under the serum concentration versus time curves, AUC (0-4 h) and AUC (0-24 h), were calculated. Corresponding parameters obtained on days 1, 10 and 21 of the 3rd and 6th month of treatment were compared on a statistical basis, and no differences were found. This result was in concordance with a previously performed study, where both formulations were administered to 18 women in a single-dose cross-over design. However, the results of the previous and the present study are at variance with the result of one other study, reporting higher EE2 levels in the serum of women taking the gestodene-containing formulation as compared to those taking the desogestrel-containing formulation.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

Lesions of the prostate glands and seminal vesicles induced by N-methylnitrosourea in F344 rats pretreated with ethinyl estradiol.

In an attempt to induce a high incidence of prostate carcinoma, N-methylnitrosourea (MNU), a multipotential carcinogen, was given during the period of cell proliferation of the prostate gland induced by administration of methyltestosterone (MT) to F344 rats pretreated with ethinyl estradiol (EE). Rats were given diet containing EE for 3 weeks and then diet containing 300 ppm of MT for 5 days. On the 3rd day of MT-treatment, they were given a single intravenous injection of 50 mg/kg body wt. of MNU. Control rats (group 4) were given vehicle only. After treatment with MT for 5 days, the rats were given basal diet (group 1), diet containing MT (group 2) or diet periodically containing EE (groups 3 and 4) until the end of the experiment (week 60). Carcinoma of the prostate was found only in 1 of 17 rats in group 3. Atypical hyperplasia of the prostate was found in 1 of 10 rats in group 1 and 3 of 17 rats in group 2. The incidences of atypical hyperplasia of the seminal vesicles in groups 1-3 were 0%, 41% and 29%, respectively. No tumor promoting effect of MT or EE was observed except promotion by MT on the development of atypical hyperplasia of the seminal vesicles.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

The effects of two gonane progestins alone and in combination with ethinyl estradiol on serum lipoproteins.

Twenty women, oophorectomized as part of the treatment for cervical carcinoma in an early stage but otherwise healthy, participated in the study. Ten of them were given desogestrel (DG) 150 micrograms/day for 3 wk followed by DG + 30 micrograms ethinyl estradiol (EE) for 6 wk, and finally EE alone for 3 wk. The other ten women were given 150 micrograms levonorgestrel (NORG) and EE in a similar way. Before treatment and after each period, total and free cholesterol (TC, FC) triglycerides (TG) and phospholipids (PL) were assayed in serum and in the ultracentrifugally isolated lipoprotein fractions very low, low and high density lipoproteins (VLDL, LDL and HDL). The results indicate that both progestins induced the same 'androgenic' pattern when given alone, i.e. a decrease in serum- and HDL-TC and a decrease in VLDL-lipids. In combination with EE, however, DG seems to counteract the effects of EE to a lesser extent than NORG, as judged particularly from the effects on TG and PL in serum and VLDL.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Structural analysis of CYP2C9 and CYP2C5 and an evaluation of commonly used molecular modeling techniques.

This work had two separate aims: to evaluate different modeling techniques and to make a detailed structural characterization of CYP2C9. To achieve these goals, the consensus principal component analysis (CPCA) technique and distance measurements were used to explore available crystal structures, newly built homology models, and repeated molecular dynamics simulations. The CPCA was based on molecular interaction fields focused on the active site regions of the proteins and include detailed amino acid analysis. The comparison of the CYP2C9 and CYP2C5 crystal structures revealed differences in the flexible regions such as the B-C and F-G loop and the N and C termini. Cross homology models of CYP2C9 and CYP2C5, using their respective crystal structures as templates, indicated that such models were more similar to their templates than to their target proteins. Inclusion of multiple templates slightly improved the similarity to the crystal target in some cases and could be recommended even though it requires a careful manual alignment process. The application of molecular dynamics simulations to highly flexible proteins such as cytochromes P450 is also explored and the information is extracted by the CPCA. Advantages and drawbacks are presented for the different modeling techniques. Despite the varying modeling success, the models give insight and understanding by the mutual forming and discarding of hypotheses. This is a dynamic process since the crystal structures are improving with time and, therefore, the answers to the models are also changing accordingly.

Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases↗

PubMed2002

Efficacy of a low-dose oral contraceptive containing 20 microg of ethinyl estradiol and 100 microg of levonorgestrel for the treatment of moderate acne: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Acne is a multifactorial disease in which androgens appear to play an important role. A low-dose oral contraceptive containing 20 microg of ethinyl estradiol and 100 microg of levonorgestrel (EE/LNG) has been shown to improve biochemical markers of androgenicity. Lowering bioavailable androgens may improve acne. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a low-dose oral contraceptive containing 20 microg of EE and 100 microg of LNG for the treatment of moderate acne. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, healthy female subjects (n = 371; >/=14 years old) with regular menstrual cycles and moderate facial acne were randomly assigned to receive EE/LNG or placebo for 6 cycles of 28 days. Acne lesion counts and clinician global assessment were performed at the end of each cycle. Patient self-assessments were collected and biochemical markers of androgenicity were also measured. RESULTS: At the end of the study, the number of inflammatory and total lesions was significantly lower with EE/LNG compared with placebo (P <.05). Patients in the EE/LNG group also had significantly better scores for clinician global and patient self-assessments than those in the placebo group (P <.05). Biochemical markers of androgenicity improved during EE/LNG treatment compared with placebo and baseline values. CONCLUSION: A low-dose oral contraceptive containing EE/LNG is effective and safe for the treatment of moderate acne.

Acne Vulgaris↗

PubMed1994

Weighted serum pools in comparison to the trapezoidal rule for estimating AUCs for ethinyl estradiol. The relationship of the variance of the determination to the interindividual variance.

The concept of a weighted pool for estimating the area under the curve (AUC) is presented and set in relationship to the trapezoidal rule. An example from a pharmacokinetic study on ethinyl estradiol is used to demonstrate the use of variance component analysis for relating the intraindividual variance of the AUC, trapezoidal rule and weighted pool to the variance of the determination process. Depending on the sampling times, the theoretical variance of the weighted pool is greater than the theoretical variance of the trapezoidal rule. In the example presented, it was shown that this difference is of no importance in relation to the interindividual variance of the AUC, which dominates the total variance. In the example study, routine quality control samples were also determined in each assay, which allowed independent confirmation of the discussed results on the intraindividual variance of the AUCs.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Successful pregnancy in a 42-year-old woman with imminent ovarian failure following ovulation induction with ethinyl estradiol without gonadotropins and in vitro fertilization.

PURPOSE: To describe the methodology used to induce ovulation in a 41-year-old woman with imminent ovarian failure and tubal factor so that in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) could be performed. METHODS: Ethinyl estradiol was used to suppress elevated serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, thus theoretically allowing restoration of down-regulated FSH receptors and response to endogenous gonadotropins. RESULTS: One oocyte was retrieved and fertilized and one embryo was transferred. The patient conceived and is presently in her last trimester. CONCLUSION: Successful pregnancy following IVF-ET is possible in women with imminent ovarian failure - even in women older than age 40.

Adult↗