US EPA

4120802 

Journal Article 

Effects of menopause and hormone replacement therapies on prednisolone and erythromycin pharmacokinetics 

Harris, RZ; Tsunoda, SM; Mroczkowski, P; Wong, H; Benet, LZ 

1996 

Yes 

Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
ISSN: 0009-9236
EISSN: 1532-6535 

IPA/97/1120403 

Pharmacol 

REF 36 

English 

IPA COPYRIGHT: ASHP To determine the effects of menopause and hormone replacement therapy on the pharmacokinetics of oral and intravenous prednisolone and intravenous erythromycin, 6 premenopausal women (mean age 27 yr), 6 postmenopausal women (mean age 50 yr), 6 postmenopausal women taking oral estrogen therapy (mean age 47 yr), and 6 postmenopausal women taking oral estrogen and progestin therapy (mean age 56 yr) received, on separate occasions, single doses of 25 mg of intravenous prednisolone sodium phosphate (Hydeltrasol), 30 mg of oral prednisolone, and 4 mcCi of intravenous radiolabeled N-methylerythromycin; blood samples were taken frequently and analyzed for erythromycin and prednisolone pharmacokinetics. The unbound clearance, total clearance, and half-life of prednisolone were significantly different in postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women. However, the bioavailability and volume of distribution of prednisolone were unaffected by menopausal status. Hormone replacement therapies did not affect prednisolone pharmacokinetics. In contrast, erythromycin elimination, as measured by the erythromycin breath test, was not affected by either menopausal status or hormone replacement therapy.