Effect of short-term estrogen administration on some parameters of lipoprotein metabolism in male rabbits.

A follow-up of short-term administration of estrogens on certain parameters of the lipid metabolism in male rabbits has revealed significant changes in the distribution pattern of their cholesterol in the LDL (decline from 0.5 +/- 0.05 to 0.25 +/- 0.04 mmol l-1) and in the HDL fraction (increase from 0.22 +/- 0.02 to 0.5 +/- 0.02 mmol l-1), as also a striking increase of serum triglycerides (from 0.85 +/- 0.1 to 1.52 +/- 0.12 mmol l-1) and of triglyceride concentration in the VLDL lipoprotein fraction (from 0.09 +/- 0.06 to 0.65 +/- 0.11 mmol l-1) (P less than 0.05). The changes in the remaining indicators are not significant. The results obtained make it clear that even a short-term administration of estrogens significantly affects the lipoprotein profile in male rabbits, making it similar to that of females.