The effect of ethinylestradiol on Na+, K+ - ATPase

This diploma thesis is oriented to analysis of physiological effect of synthetic estrogen ethinylestradiol (EE), which represents the main component of steroid-based substance used in hormonal contraception. From wide range of physiologically important protein molecules, which might be effected by this steroid, thesis focuses to the study of the sodium plus potassium activated, magnesium dependent adenosinetriphosphatase (Na+, K+ - ATPase), which is selectively inhibited by cardiac glycosides such as ouabain (g strophantine). Na+, K+ - ATPase represents an important plasma membrane bound enzyme, which catalyzes the active transport of sodium and potassium across plasma membrane. In the first part of this work, Na+, K+ - ATPase was determined by binding of radioactively labeled selective inhibitor of this enzyme [3H]ouabain, used for this purpose. In the second part of this work, plasma membrane fluidity was analyzed by steady-state fluorescence anisotropy of DPH. The effect of EE on [3H]ouabain binding was studied first under in vitro conditions by using human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293) which were cultivated for 24 hours in the presence of EE in tissue culture medium. Second, the effect of EE was also studied under in vivo conditions, by subcutaneous application of EE to the female rats of Wistar..