A comparative study of biliary and urinary 2-hydroxylated metabolites of [6,7-3H]17 alpha-ethynylestradiol in women.

The biliary and urinary metabolites of [6,7-3H]17 alpha-ethynylestradiol (EE2) in women were studied with reference to the possibility of estimating EE2 2-hydroxylation by analysing urinary metabolites alone. Five subjects received 50 micrograms of 3H-EE2 orally. Bile was obtained by either endoscopy or T-tube drainage. The metabolites excreted in bile and urine were largely glucuronides and arylsulphates, but in variable proportions. The glutathione adduct of 2-hydroxyethynylestradiol was not observed in bile. EE2 was the predominant component of the glucuronide fractions of bile and urine. Additionally, the proportion of glucuronylated EE2 in a subject's urine quantitatively paralleled that in bile. HPLC analyses indicated that the proportions of EE2 and 2-methoxy-EE2 in urine are predictive of EE2 2-hydroxylation in most women. With some subjects, however, urinary analysis alone considerably underestimates the extent of 2-hydroxylation.