ORAL USE OF PREGNENINONOL IN FUNCTIONAL MENO-METRORRHAGIA

Abstract

INHOFFEN AND HOHLWEG (1) prepared recently a derivative of estradiol, which I(NHOFFEN)was identified(AND HOHLWEG)as pregnen-in-on-3-ol-17. These workers reported that, when this compound was injected into immature mice, previously treated with estrogens, it was approximately one-third as effective in producing progestational changes as was synthetic progesterone, similarly administered. It was observed, however, that when pregneninonol was given by mouth to similar animals, it was approximately 15 times as potent as progesterone given orally. A well developed progestational endometrium was produced in immature mice following the oral administration of 4 mg. of pregneninonol, whereas 60 mg. of progesterone by mouth were required for a similar response. One of us (E.C.H., 2,) reported previously that pregneninonol and certain estrogens had been given orally in the treatment of mencmetrorrhagia and that no untoward reactions or evidence of toxicity had followed. Apparent beneficial effects upon the character of flowing were described. The present communication reports these studies in detail.