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British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
. 1982 Mar;13(3):325–330. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1982.tb01382.x

The gut wall metabolism of ethinyloestradiol and its contribution to the pre-systemic metabolism of ethinyloestradiol in humans.

D J Back, A M Breckenridge, M MacIver, M Orme, H S Purba, P H Rowe, I Taylor
PMCID: PMC1402099  PMID: 7059434

Abstract

1 Five patients have been studied to determine the contribution of the gut wall to the pre-systemic metabolism of ethinyloestradiol. All patients had a catheter inserted into their hepatic portal vein as part of their surgical management. 2 After an oral dose of 50 micrograms (65 microCi) ethinyloestradiol, blood samples were taken from the hepatic portal vein and from a peripheral vein at intervals for 1 h. 3 In each patient the concentration of conjugated ethinyloestradiol in the portal vein was considerably higher than in the peripheral vein. 4 Although a number of assumptions have been made, calculations showed that the gut wall appeared to be twice as effective as the liver in conjugating ethinyloestradiol on the first pass. 5 In two patients there was no evidence of major uptake or metabolism of ethinyloestradiol in the lung.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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