INCREASED LEVELS OF PROGESTERONE IN RATS FOLLOWING ACUTE ETHANOL TREATMENT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a single do se of ethanol on reproductive hormone production in female rats. Adult female Wistar rats were injected with alcohol (4g/kg) or equal volume of saline i. p. on diestrus day 1. The animals were sacrificed 1/2 h and 3 h after treatment. Our results showed that acute ethanol treatme nt had no significant influence on LH and oestradiol levels, but signi ficantly increased progesterone concentration. Since ethanol induced e levated levels of progesterone in male rats as well and caused a signi ficant increase in the level of ACTH, the data obtained indicated that the increased progesterone concentration in female rats might be the result of activation of the adrenal glands.