THE ABILITY OF THE HUMAN LIVER TO REDUCE THE BIOLOGIC ACTIVITY OF INJECTED ESTROGENS*

Abstract

THE role of the liver in the metabolism of estrogens has been the focus of numerous studies which have been recently reviewed by Pearlman (1) and by Glass (2). Incubation of estradiol with liver slices, liver homogenate or cell-free extracts of liver tissue effects a marked reduction in biologic activity of the incubated estrogen (3, 4, 5, 6). Conversely, various types of experimental and clinical hepatic injury have been shown to be associated with evidence of increased biologic activity of exogenous or endogenous estrogens (2). Golden and Sevringhaus (7) have shown that the estrogen produced by an ovary transplanted into the drainage area of the portal vein in the rat is biologically ineffective. However, Hooker et al. (8) reported that intrasplenic administration of estrogens in the monkey is not associated with reduced biologic effect. Similarly, Van Wagenen and Gardner (9) observed no impairment of menstrual function in the monkey when the ovaries were transplanted into the spleen. Thus the evidence derived from primates conflicts with that obtained in rodents and presents some doubt regarding actual estrogen inactivation in the human liver.