Abstract
Two progestins with different androgenic activity were compared for their effects on plasma high density lipoproteins and postheparin plasma lipase activities in premenopausal women. Levonorgestrel, a nortestosterone-derived steroid with androgenic activity reduced plasma HDL cholesterol by 17% ( P < 0.05) and HDL 2 cholesterol by 30% ( P < 0.05), without changing the HDL 3 cholesterol concentration. At the same time the postheparin plasma hepatic lipase activity was increased by 56% ( P < 0.01) whereas the lipoprotein lipase was not changed. None of these effects was reproduced during administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate, a progestin with low androgenic activity. The results suggest, first, that the decrease of HDL cholesterol observed during treatment with progestins is related to the androgenic activity of the steroid used, and, second, that the change in HDL (HDL 2) is caused by androgen-induced increase of hepatic lipase activity.
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