gestodene and Breast-Diseases

Forty-four female volunteers asking for oral contraception, affected by symptomatic benign breast disease (BBD) were evaluated to compare the effects on mastalgia and breast nodularity of two different low dose oral contraceptives (OCs), containing 20 micrograms [corrected] ethinylestradiol + 150 micrograms desogestrel (EE+D) and 30 micrograms ethinylestradiol + 75 micrograms gestodene (EE+G), respectively. Physical examination, bilateral thermography, X-ray and/or ultrasonography of breast, and needle and screw-needle biopsies of mammary tissue were performed in all patients before OCs administration and after six cycles of treatment. OCs administration caused an overall improvement of mastalgia in 53%. Breast nodularity improved only in 8% of patients in both groups. Epithelial tissue modifications in mammary biopsies were observed, with involutive and/or secretory histomorphological and ultrastructural changes, frequently coexisting in different areas of the same breast.. In Italy, researchers compared data on 22 women who used the low-dose oral contraceptive (OC) containing 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 150 mcg desogestrel (EE+D) with data on 22 other women who used the low-dose OC containing 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 75 mcg gestodene (EE+G) to determine the pharmacological effects of the 2 OCs on women affected by mastalgia and breast nodularity. Clinicians performed physical exams, bilateral thermography, X-ray and/or ultrasonography of breast and needle and screw-needle biopsies of mammary tissue before OC administration and after 6 cycles of OC treatment. An overall improvement of mastalgia and breast nodularity occurred in 53% and 8% of all patients, respectively. There were no significant differences between groups. Among EE+D treated women, a marked secretory attitude in breast epithelial cells occurred, probably due to a prominent progestin effect. Both OCs increased the number of cytoplasmatic organules and intraluminal secretory material without any apparent increase of cell proliferation. The observed involutive and/or secretory histomorphological and ultrastructural changes often occurred in different areas of the same breast. These results suggest that low dose OC use by women affected by benign breast disease improves mastalgia but not breast nodularity.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Breast; Breast Diseases; Contraceptives, Oral; Desogestrel; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Norpregnenes

Oestrogen receptor protein (ER) was detected in 9 of 11 samples of malignant breast tissue and 8 of 9 samples of normal breast tissue. Levels of cytosolic ER (ERc) in malignant breast were 21-1102 fmol mg-1 soluble protein (Kd 1.8 X 10(-9)-3.1 X 10(-8) mol l-1) and those of nucleosolic ER (ERn), 13-526 fmol mg-1 soluble protein (Kd 2.1 X 10(-9)-1.4 X 10(-8) mol l-1). In normal breast tissue ERc levels were 33-640 fmol mg-1 soluble protein (Kd 1.3 X 10(-10)-3.2 X 10(-9) mol l-1), ERn was detected in only 2 samples, 8 and 87 fmol mg-1 soluble protein with Kd 3.2 X 10(-9) and 1.4 X 10(-9) l mol-1 respectively. 17 alpha-ethinyl-13 beta-ethyl-17 beta-hydroxy-4,15-gonadiene-3-one (gestodene), a new synthetic progestogen displaced 3H-oestradiol (3H-E2) from both ERc and ERn in malignant tissue but not in normal breast, or these receptors from endometrial tissue. In competition studies gestodene was approximately 3 times more effective in displacing 3H-E2 from ERc and ERn in malignant breast tissue than the natural ligand. Quantitation of ER by gestodene were ERc, 12-1134 fmol gestodene bound mg-1 soluble protein (Kd 1 X 10(-9)-8.1 X 10(-9) mol l-1); ERn, 17-531 fmol gestodene bound mg-1 soluble protein (Kd 1.6 X 10(-9)-1.1 X 10(-8) mol l-1). L-13-ethyl-17 alpha-ethinyl, 17 beta-hydroxy-gonen-3-one (levonorgestrel) showed no binding to ER in malignant breast, normal breast or endometrial tissue. In circulation both gestodene and levonorgestrel displaced E2 from sex hormone binding globulin more than any of the androgens tested. These results suggest that gestodene is a progestogen with oestrogenic and/or antioestrogenic properties and provide strong evidence for differences in ER from malignant and normal breast tissue.

Topics: Binding, Competitive; Breast Diseases; Breast Neoplasms; Cytosol; Female; Humans; Norpregnenes; Receptors, Estrogen; Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; Transcortin