digitoxin and Gynecomastia

Digoxin was studied to see whether it impairs adrenal function and feminizes male subjects by changing plasma sexual hormones; both have been reported on previously. In eight healthy male subjects neither estrone (38.7 +/- 7.7 vs 35.4 +/- 3.2 pg/ml) nor estradiol (35.8 +/- 6.4 vs 32.2 +/- 3.9 pg/ml) nor testosterone (6.32 +/- 0.74 vs 6.45 +/- 0.73 ng/ml) were found to be altered by digoxin administration (plasma levels 1.55 +/0- 0.27 ng/ml) lasting 35 days. The same was true of free testosterone (147 +/- 24 vs 142 +/- 19 pg/ml) and free estradiol (657 +/- 77 vs 615 +/- 78 fg/ml). Even maximal stimulation of the adrenal and gonadal glands by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) did not exhibit any digoxin-induced alterations in the synthesizing capacity of steroid hormones, as shown by plasma cortisol (increase from 128 +/- 18 to 389 +/- 18 ng/ml) and testosterone (from 5.96 +/- 0.90 to 10.33 +/- 1.19 ng/ml). Furthermore, seven subjects on digoxin were observed over a period of 150-210 days; they did not show any increase of estrogens. This was also found in three subjects when estrogen levels were elevated initially due to extreme obesity. Also, 35 patients who took beta-methyldigoxin (n = 8), beta-acetyldigoxin (n = 20) and digitoxin (n = 7) from 1 to 9 (mean: 1.9) years demonstrated normal plasma concentrations of gonadal and adrenal steroids, irrespective of duration of application or the digitalis compound.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Adult; Digitalis; Digoxin; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Gynecomastia; Heart Failure; Hemodynamics; Humans; Male; Plants, Medicinal; Plants, Toxic; Sex Factors

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Diagnosis, Differential; Digitalis; Estradiol Congeners; Gynecomastia; Humans; Hypogonadism; Infant, Newborn; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms; Plants, Medicinal; Plants, Toxic; Spironolactone; Testosterone; Testosterone Congeners

Topics: Digitalis; Digoxin; Female; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Gynecomastia; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; Neuromuscular Diseases; Plants, Medicinal; Plants, Toxic

Topics: Aged; Digitoxin; Gynecomastia; Humans; Klinefelter Syndrome; Male

Topics: Aged; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Digitalis; Digitalis Glycosides; Digoxin; Diuretics; Geriatrics; Gynecomastia; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Psychoses, Substance-Induced; Psychotic Disorders; Toxicology

Topics: Bradycardia; Delirium; Digitalis; Digitalis Glycosides; Digitoxin; Digoxin; Gynecomastia; Humans; Lanatosides; Male; Neuritis; Paresthesia; Tachycardia; Thrombocytopenia; Toxicology; Trigeminal Neuralgia; Urticaria

Topics: Breast Diseases; Contraceptive Agents, Female; Digitalis; Digitalis Glycosides; Estradiol Congeners; Estrogens; Female; Geriatrics; Gynecomastia; Humans; Iatrogenic Disease; Male; Toxicology; Vagina

Topics: Arteriosclerosis; Atrial Fibrillation; Digitalis; Digitalis Glycosides; Geriatrics; Gynecomastia; Humans; Male; Mastectomy; Mitral Valve Insufficiency; Pathology; Rheumatic Heart Disease; Toxicology

Topics: Digitalis; Digitalis Glycosides; Gynecomastia; Humans; Iatrogenic Disease; Male

Topics: Digitalis; Digitalis Glycosides; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Gynecomastia; Humans; Male; Plant Extracts

Topics: Digitalis; Digitalis Glycosides; Gynecomastia; Heart Diseases; Humans; Male; Plant Extracts

Topics: Digitalis; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Gynecomastia; Heart Failure; Humans; Liver; Male; Plant Extracts