Monooxygenases in the cytochrome P450 IIIA subfamily are induced by a number of their xenobiotic substrates and by testosterone, an endobiotic substrate of importance in their regulation. 17 alpha-Ethinylestradiol (EE) is also metabolized by these enzymes and in this study Dark Agouti rats were used to examine the effects of subcutaneous implantation of controlled release silastic capsules containing EE to determine if this steroid also induces these enzymes. Data were compared with results obtained from equivalent groups of animals implanted with capsules containing testosterone propionate (TP). Liver microsomes prepared from male and female rats were used to identify intrinsic gender differences in the monooxygenases studied and gender differences in the responses to the implanted steroids were also determined. Effects due to imprinting of growth hormone secretion patterns were controlled by using male and female birth gonadectomized animals. Results obtained from groups with blank implants showed there were no effects due to the silastic implant material itself on the monooxygenases studied. The specific activities of erythromycin N-demethylation in liver microsomes of both EE and TP implanted male and female birth gonadectomized animals were enhanced relative to corresponding blank implanted controls consistent with both steroids having an effect to induce activity attributable to cytochrome P450 IIIA isoforms. Immunoinhibition studies using microsomes from EE treated female rats with erythromycin as substrate provided further evidence for this steroid having this induction effect. The specific activity of ethylmorphine N-demethylation was however not increased in microsomes prepared from the EE implanted female animals and was decreased in the corresponding male preparations. These findings distinguished the response to this steroid from that to TP and suggested induction by this estrogen of an isoform(s) having a more limited range of substrates than has characteristically been found in this subfamily. EE treatment also caused an increase in diazepam C3 hydroxylase consistent with an effect to induce P450 IIIA activity but this was found only in microsomes from birth gonadectomized female animals. This was in contrast to the effect of TP treatment which produced increases in this monooxygenase in both male and female animals. Another gender specific effect of EE was a striking decrease in morphine N-demethylase activity seen only in birth gonadectomized male rats. This again contrasted with the effect of TP which caused a marked increase in this activity in liver microsomes of both male and female birth gonadectomized animals consistent with the proposal that testosterone is important in the regulation of this activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)