Effect of progesterone, estradiol & stilbestrol on serum ceruloplasmin in rabbits

To test whether progesterone also influences the serum ceruloplasmin activity (CSA) like estrogen (in the form of ethinyl estradiol and stilbestrol) and oral contraceptives containing both estrogenic and progestogen components, and if so to find out the relative influence of estrogen and progesterone, rabbits were treated with progesterone, estradiol dipropionate, a combination of these two and diethyl stilbestrol, and the SCA was estimated. Progesterone caused 194 and 262% increase in two and three weeks respectively. (p less than .001) Estradiol dipropionate failed to increase SCA, while diethyl stilbesterol caused an increase similar to that of progesterone.