Summary
Eight ovariectomized women with an intact uterus received 12.5 μg ethinylestradiol
for 14 days, in a cross over fashion. Ethinylestradiol was administered as a paper
disc for sublingual application or as a tablet for oral administration. The parameters
studied were FSH secretion, plasma protein synthesis, endometrial morphology, cervical
mucus properties and the karyopyknotic index.
Both types of treatment resulted in estrogenic effects with a more pronounced effect
on sperm penetration and the Spinnbarkeit test after paper disc treatment than after
conventional tablet treatment. The post-treatment FSH concentration 20 h after ethinylestradiol
administration was significantly lower than the pretreatment value only in the case
of the paper disc treatment. There was no evidence of any difference in effects on
protein synthesis. The results indicate that the availability of ethinylestradiol
for peripheral tissues may be increased by sublingual administration compared to oral
tablet administration, whereas the effects on liver protein synthesis may remain unchanged.
Key-Words:
Sublingual
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Ethinylestradiol
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Paper-Pill
