Effect of long-term centchroman treatment on plasma steroid and peptide hormones in female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

Effect of weekly oral administration of Centchroman (3,4-trans-2, 2-dimethyl-3-phenyl-4-(p-(beta-pyrrolidinoethoxy)-phenyl)-7-met hoxychroman) at 1 and 2.5 mg/kg for 12 months on plasma estradiol, progesterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone of female rhesus monkeys was studied. Centchroman administration at both doses did not disturb the menstrual pattern of rhesus monkeys except for a prolongation of the first treatment cycle. The subsequent cycles were of normal duration. The general pattern of plasma estradiol, progesterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone was not affected by Centchroman treatment. The basal and peak levels were similar in pretreatment, control and treatment cycles. The results clearly indicate that Centchroman treatment up to 1 year does not affect the hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian axis in female rhesus monkeys.