Abstract
Chronic treatment of rats with drugs and insecticides, such as phenobarbital, chlorcyclizine, phenylbutazone, chlordane and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), stimulates the in vitro hydroxylation of progesterone and other steroids by liver microsomes and markedly decreases the central depressant effects of administered steroid hormones. The decreased central depressant effect of administered progesterone in phenobarbital-pretreated rats is associated with decreased levels of progesterone and its metabolites in the brain. The ability of liver microsomal enzyme stimulators to decrease the central depressant effects of progesterone raises the possibility that liver microsomal enzyme stimulators may also alter physiologic actions of endogenous steroids in the body.
Footnotes
- Received March 1, 1966.
- Accepted May 16, 1966.
- © 1966 by The Williams & Wilkins Company
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