Caracterização do perfil de excreção de glicosaminoglicanos na urina de usuárias de contraceptivo oral

Abstract

Glycosaminoglycans (GAG) on the urothelium and in the urine have protective effects against disorders such as urolithiasis and interstitial cystitis. Additionally, we have shown that female sex hormones may modulate urinary GAG excretion (Maroclo MV et al. J Urol 2005;173:1789-92). Here we investigated whether oral hormonal contraceptives (OC) affect urinary GAG excretion. Urine specimens were obtained from young women regularly taking the following OC: EE + D (0.030 mg ethinyl estradiol + 3.0 mg drospirenone), n=9; EE + C (0.035 mg ethinyl estradiol + 2.0 mg cyproterone acetate), n=9; and EE + G (0.020 mg ethinyl estradiol + 0.075 mg gestodene), n=7. Controls were from ten age-matched women not taking OC. Total urinary GAG from the first and second halves of the menstrual cycle was assayed as µg hexuronic acid per mg urinary creatinine. Content of sulfated GAG species was determined by agarose gel electrophoresis. In contrast to controls, excretion of total GAG in the first and second halves of the menstrual cycle was quite similar in the OC groups. Excretion values for the whole cycle were higher in the OC groups (p < 0.01), especially for EE + C, in which the values were twice those from controls (p < 0.005). Compared with controls, the three OC produced marked changes in the composition of urinary sulfated GAG, with decreases of ~50% in HS (p < 0.02) and DS (p < 0.02), and a ~100% increase in CS (p < 0.004). The pattern of urinary GAG excretion is clearly changed in women taking commonly used OC. However, this altered excretion should constitute an additional beneficial effect of OC, as it enhances the protective effects of GAG against urinary tract disorders.