Skin Absorption of Dihydroxyestrin in Humans

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken to determine whether estrogenic hormone can be absorbed through the human skin. Absorption was estimated on the basis of the application to the human female of the Allen-Doisy test. Papanicolaou and Shorr 1 have demonstrated that the human vaginal secretions after the menopause or castration exhibit certain striking cytological features, characterized chiefly by the presence of small, round or oval epithelial cells (“deep cells”) with rather large, well-staining nuclei and associated with a varying number of leucocytes. These investigators have shown that following administration of adequate amounts of estrogenic hormone the leucocytes and “deep cells” disappear and are supplanted by large, squamous epithelial cells, characteristic of the follicular phase of normally menstruating women. In the present study an attempt was made to determine whether similar vaginal smear changes could be produced in human females by means of skin inunctions with an estrogenic hormone.

A group of women were chosen who were considered, on clinica grounds, to have either marked ovarian deficiency (post-menopause or X-ray castration) or no ovarian function at all (bilateral oöphorectomy). Of these, 14 were selected whose vaginal smears during a period of observation of 2 weeks were found to be constantly “negative” (Reaction I or 0), 2 indicating absence of estrogenic activity. The vaginal mucous membrane changes of this group of women, as revealed in the smears, constitute sensitive test objects for estrogenic substances.