The present study reports the modulatory influences of
combined oral contraceptive formulations,
Ovral (0.05 mg ethinylestradiol plus 0.5 mg
norgestrel per pill) and
Noracycline (0.05 mg ethinylestradiol plus 0.1 mg
lynestrenol per pill), on
methylcholanthrene (MCA)-induced
carcinogenesis in the uterine cervix of Swiss albino mouse. Placement of cotton thread impregnated with
beeswax containing approximately 300 micrograms of MCA yielded cervical
tumors in 0.0%, 8.6% and 26% animals, respectively, in 30, 60 and 90 days. Concomitant treatments with doses D1 (1/2000th of a pill), D2 (1/200th of a pill) and D3 (1/20th of a pill) of
Ovral yielded cervical
tumors in 0.0%, 0.0% and 4.5% mice at 30 days, 0.0%, 6.2% and 10% mice at 60 days and in 3.3% (P less than 0.05), 3.4% (P less than 0.05) and 47% mice at 90 days, respectively. Likewise, concomitant treatments with doses D1 (1/2000th of a pill), D2 (1/200th of a pill) and D3 (1/20th of a pill) of
Noracycline yielded cervical
tumors in 0.0%, 0.0%, 16.6% mice at 30 days, 4%, 3.7% and 54% (P less than 0.05) mice at 60 days and 3.2% (P less than 0.05), 20% and 63% (P less than 0.05) of mice at 90 days, respectively. Both
Ovral and
Noracycline displayed biphasic action on MCA-induced cervical
carcinogenesis in mice. At lower dose levels (D1 and D2), they were inhibitory while at the higher dose level (D3) they were augmentatory in their actions. Both pills also significantly enhanced the incidence of cervical
hyperplasia.