Source: Physiol Genom  |  Posted 9 years ago

Low-dose oral contraceptives appear to decrease lacrimal fluid peroxidase activity, a finding that would suggest lacrimal fluid peroxidase activity may be regulated by estrogen.

Italian researchers say lacrimal fluid peroxidase has been presumed to protect against oxidative damage to the ocular surface. Recent findings by the same researchers had demonstrated the existence of significant cyclic variations in lacrimal fluid peroxidase activity that were positively correlated with those of 17[]b[]-estradiol plasma levels throughout the menstrual cycle of fertile women.

In their current study, they assessed lacrimal fluid peroxidase activity in eight healthy normocyclic women using low-dose oral contraceptives during the monthly cycle.

Results showed that low-dose oral contraceptives caused a decrease in lacrimal fluid peroxidase activity and a lack of its cyclic pattern with respect to the enzyme activity of eight untreated age-matched women.