The toxic pathophysiology of retinol hypervitaminosis and norethisterone enantate in rats.

The use of the long acting contraceptive was accompanied by clinically overt toxic manifestations on the liver, glucose tolerance, in addition to the danger of carcinogenicity. Also chronic hypervitaminosis "A" leads to a variety of toxic manifestations of obscure mechanism. The objective of this experimental work was directed to study the toxicity of the isolated and combined augmented doses of the two therapeutic agents on the female albino rat. The results of the present study evidenced that the long acting contraceptive norethisterone enantate is potentially hepato- and nephro-toxic. More damage to the liver; and luteinization of theca and stroma cells of the ovaries occurred as a result of retinol hypervitaminosis. The brunt of toxicity and damage on the test organs after coadministration of both chemicals proved to be synergetic except on the ovarian tissues.