Modulatory Influence of Oral Contraceptive Pills Ovral and Noracycline on 3‐Methylcholanthrene‐induced Carcinogenesis in the Uterine Cervix of Mouse

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 ∼ 300 μg of MCA yielded cervical tumors in 0.0%, 8.6% and 26% animals, respectively, in 30, 60 and 90 days. Concomitant treatments with doses D(1) (1/2000th of a pill), D(2) (1/ 200th of a pill) and D(3) (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<0.05), 3.4% (P<0.05) and 47% mice at 90 days, respectively. Likewise, concomitant treatments with doses D(1) (1/2000th of a pill), D(2) (1/200th of a pill) and D(3) (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<0.05) mice at 60 days and 3.2% (P<0.05), 20% and 63% (P<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 (D(1) and D(2)), they were inhibitory while at the higher dose level (D(3)) they were augmentatory in their actions. Both pills also significantly enhanced the incidence of cervical hyperplasia.