Metabolic clearance rate and production rate of oestradiol in conscious rabbits.
A continuous isotope infusion technique was used to measure the metabolic clearance rate (MCRB) and production rate (PRB) of oestradiol-17beta in a group of six non-pregnant conscious Chinchilla rabbits. The mean MCRB of oestradiol was 162 ml/min (0 X 079 1/min/weight0 X 75), and at equilibrium a significant proportion of the radioactivity in the circulation was present as oestrone (conversion ratio oestradiol to oestrone, 27 X 6%). The mean PRB of oestradiol was 4 X 3 ng/min, which is equivalent to about 5 mug/day. Some day-to-day variation was seen in the endogenous concentrations of oestradiol, oestrone and progesterone although in general the levels of the two oestrogens were less than 30-40 pg/ml, and progesterone levels were below 300 pg/ml apart from short peaks up to 600 pg/ml. These values were compared with previous measurements of the ovarian secretion rate of oestradiol measured directly in anaesthetized animals.