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Estrogen and progesterone receptors in human decidua after RU486 treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To examine RU486 action on decidua at the level of cellular estrogen receptor (ER) and P receptor (PR). DESIGN: Controlled basic study for contragestion mechanism of mifepristone. SETTING: Normal human volunteers in an academic research environment. PATIENTS: Sixty women with 6 to 7 weeks of gestation who voluntarily requested termination of pregnancy were recruited and randomly divided into three groups. INTERVENTION: A single dose of 200 mg RU486 was orally administered to the two treatment groups 12 and 24 hours, respectively, before surgical interruption of pregnancies. Placebo was used for control group. Decidual tissues were collected right after operation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Immunocytochemical reactions of PR and ER in decidua after RU486 treatment were compared with the control subjects. The differences of the reaction in decidual area with or without trophoblast invasion were noted. RESULTS: RU486 treatment increased PR and ER staining in vessel and stroma of decidua without trophoblast invasion (decidua parietalis) but not in decidua with trophoblast invasion (decidua capsularis or basalis). Chi-squared analysis indicated a significant increase in the number of ER-positive samples after RU486 treatment. CONCLUSION: The decidua parietalis was the primary target site of RU486. The lack of RU486 effect on decidua capsularis implied that trophoblast invasion prevented against antiprogestin impact.

Abortion, Induced↗

Transdermal estrogen with a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device for climacteric complaints versus estradiol-releasing vaginal ring with a vaginal progesterone suppository: clinical and endometrial responses.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to compare the effects of a new estradiol-releasing vaginal ring with progesterone given as a vaginal suppository, versus the efficacy, safety and acceptability of an intrauterine device releasing levonorgestrel combined with estradiol, delivered transdermally from a patch. Climacteric symptoms, bleeding pattern and endometrial histologic features were studied. METHODS: Fifty six parous, postmenopausal women with urogenital symptoms were allocated in two groups for one year: 28 women receiving estradiol by a vaginal ring and a 100 mg vaginal progesterone suppository 7 days every month and 28 women receiving a continuous transdermal daily dose of 50 micrograms of estradiol with a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device inserted. All the patients were subjected to vaginosonographic examination followed by thorough pathological examination of the uterine curetting samples. RESULTS: A mean endometrial thickness (double layer) of 2.9 and 3.0 mm, respectively, was found to be predictive of normal endometrium. Both treatment regiments effectively relieved climacteric symptoms. Endometrial proliferation was not observed. Spotting was more common in the intrauterine device group than in the vaginal ring group. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of urogenital symptoms in postmenopausal women with these two forms of hormone replacement therapy is shown to be an effective and safe method, exhibiting advantages over other methods of treatment.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

Attenuation of nursing-related ovarian suppression and high fertility in well-nourished, intensively breast-feeding Amele women of lowland Papua New Guinea.

Intense, sustained nursing lengthens inter-birth intervals and is causally linked with low natural fertility. However, in traditional settings, the effects of such nursing on fertility are difficult to disentangle from those of nutrition. Results from a prospective, direct observational study of reproductive function in well-nourished Amele women who nurse intensively and persistently but who also have high fertility are here presented. Endocrine measures show that ovarian activity resumes by median 11.0 months postpartum. Median duration of postpartum amenorrhoea is 11.3 months, time to next conception is 19.0 months, and the inter-birth interval is 28.0 months. Average life time fertility is 6.8. High fertility in Amele women is due both to refractoriness of reproductive function to suckling stimuli, and to maintenance of equivalent age-specific fertility rates across the reproductive life span.

Birth Intervals↗

An assessment of the dual-analyte enzyme immunoassay for ovulation timing.

In a search for simpler, more efficient methods of monitoring ovulatory function, either to assist in the investigation of the infertile couple or for contraceptive or fertility control purposes, a number of new methods have been developed. One of these, the OVEIA dual-analyte system is now available for laboratory use. The principle behind the system is the simultaneous measurement of urinary oestrone-glucuronide and pregnanediol-glucuronide. The resultant signal is quantified using an enzymatic photometric endpoint denoted by the relative absorbance (RA%). The application of the OVEIA system to the monitoring of urine samples over the periovulatory period in ovulatory and non-ovulatory cycles from regularly cycling but infertile women is described and the changes in RA% compared with synchronously measured changes in plasma LH and plasma oestradiol concentrations, salivary progesterone profiles and measurements of follicular volume. It is concluded that the OVEIA system is simple and quick to perform and the results obtained compare reasonably well with equivalent direct and indirect indicators of impending ovulation (e.g. increasing plasma oestradiol concentrations or changes in the volume of the follicle). However, as is the case with other endocrine methods, definitive information about the presence or absence of follicular rupture cannot be obtained.

Adult↗

Effect of tamoxifen alone and in combination with RU 486 on the endometrium in the mid-luteal phase.

The effects of RU 486 combined with tamoxifen and tamoxifen alone on hormonal parameters and endometrial development at the time of implantation were studied. Measurements of cytosolic oestrogen and progesterone receptors in endometrium and placental protein 14 (PP14) in plasma were also included. Three dosage schedules were used: single oral dose of 40 mg tamoxifen alone and in combination with 200 mg RU 486, and 40 mg tamoxifen for three consecutive days starting on the first day after the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. The combined treatment prolonged the luteal phase (P < 0.05) and increased the plasma levels of progesterone. A single dose of tamoxifen did not affect the bleeding pattern and plasma hormone levels, but raised plasma oestradiol and LH with the 3-day treatment. The endometrium was retarded after the combined and the 3-day treatment with tamoxifen. Concentrations of cytosolic progesterone receptors were higher after the combined therapy, but were unaffected after tamoxifen only. PP14 levels were higher (P < 0.05) after repeated tamoxifen doses than in controls, but were lower with combined treatment. Progesterone and oestrogen are evidently necessary for endometrial maturation during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle. PP14 levels in plasma cannot be used for clinical assessments of endometrial function because high levels coincide with disturbed endometrial development.

Embryo Implantation↗

Effects of continuous treatment with low dose mifepristone throughout one menstrual cycle.

The effects of continuous low dose mifepristone (RU 486) 10, 5 or 1 mg/day on the menstrual cycle were assessed in groups of five volunteers, who were treated for 30 days from the beginning of the cycle. Hormonal determinations in blood and urine samples, ovarian ultrasonography and an endometrial biopsy taken on day 22-29 of treatment were used to monitor the cycle. Pre- and post-treatment cycles presented a normal profile. During treatment, concentrations of RU 486 in plasma ranged from 65 nmol/l with 1 mg/day to 1000 nmol/l with 10 mg/day. With 10 or 5 mg/day, all treated cycles were prolonged as a result of arrested or slower follicular growth during treatment. Gonadotrophins, sex steroids and their urinary metabolites remained at early follicular phase levels throughout treatment, whereas androstenedione, prolactin and cortisol were unaffected. Follicular maturation resumed after discontinuation of treatment and several days later a luteinizing hormone surge followed by a luteal phase was observed in all cases. Ovulation was suppressed during treatment only in one of the five cycles treated with 1 mg/day. Endometrial maturation was disturbed by all doses. These data demonstrate a differential threshold of the follicle and the endometrium to mifepristone. This finding has potential application in the contraceptive field.

Adult↗

Progesterone receptors: expression and regulation in the mammalian ovary.

The authors have briefly discussed the molecular structure, regulation, and function of progesterone receptors in the mammalian ovary. Particularly important is the contrast in the regulatory mechanisms of PR induction in the ovary (gonadotropins/membrane receptor mediated) and other well-known progesterone target tissues, such as the uterus and mammary gland (estrogen/nuclear receptor mediated). Future research will focus on how the PR gene responds to these hormonal regulatory signals in this cell-specific manner. Equally important in this discussion has been the mounting evidence indicating that PRs are an essential component of the ovulatory process. The observation that PR-/- knockout mice are incapable of undergoing ovulation, even in response to gonadotropin challenge, further supports the previous physiological evidence indicating that PRs in preovulatory follicles are induced before, and are necessary for, ovulation. Further studies are required to determine the identity of PR-regulated target genes during the periovulatory period. Although our knowledge of PR structure, regulation, and function has increased dramatically during the past decade, many exciting questions remain related to the regulation and function(s) of PRs in the ovary and other tissues.

Animals↗

Variable effects of RU 486 on endometrial maintenance in the luteal phase extended by exogenous hCG.

This study was designed to assess the features and conditions for endometrial bleeding induction with the synthetic antiprogestin and antiglucocorticoid RU 486 during hCG-induced prolongation of the luteal phase. Eighteen healthy, surgically sterilized women and another five women with an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD) participated. All subjects received hCG which was injected daily in increasing doses (500 to 15,000 IU) from day 9 to day 15 of the luteal phase. Ten subjects received hCG alone, and groups of three to 16 subjects received hCG combined with RU 486 (25, 50, 100, 200 or 400 mg/day). RU 486 administration was commenced on day 12 following the LH surge and given either for 1, 4 or 7 consecutive days. In certain cycles, tamoxifen (20 mg/day) was given for 4 consecutive days with hCG, or with hCG and RU 486. All treatment cycles were separated by one or two resting cycles. Frequent blood samples were taken to monitor the endocrine response. Treatment with hCG alone or with the various combinations of RU 486 produced similar serum levels of oestradiol and progesterone which were equivalent to those observed during early pregnancy. With hCG alone, the onset of bleeding was on day 21-24 after the LH surge, coinciding with the drop in oestradiol and progesterone. With RU 486 doses of 50 mg/day or more, an early bleeding episode almost invariably occurred on day 14-17 after the LH surge in the presence of high circulating steroid levels. In contrast, 25 mg/day RU 486 for 4 days failed to induce this early onset of bleeding in three out of six cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Oral progestogen-only contraception may protect against loss of bone mass in breast-feeding women.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A worldwide trend towards increasing life expectancy has meant that osteoporosis is emerging as an important public health problem. The loss of bone mineral density and its restoration in association with a premenopausal but physiological hypo-oestrogenic state may serve as an important model for research into the pathogenesis and prevention of osteoporosis. With this in mind we have undertaken a longitudinal study of changes in bone mineral density over one year in women after childbirth. DESIGN: Observational study of 31 women in the first year following childbirth; 11 intending to breast-feed and use barrier methods of contraception, 9 intending to breastfeed and to use the progestogen-only pill and 10 intending to artificially feed and to use barrier methods. PATIENTS: Recruitment was from the antenatal clinics of the Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion. Only non-smokers who had regular menstrual cycles prior to conception were included. MEASUREMENTS: Bone mineral density was measured at the lumbar spine within 3 weeks of childbirth and repeated at 6 and 12 months post partum. Plasma oestradiol, prolactin and osteocalcin concentrations were measured at each visit. RESULTS: Breast-feeding women using barrier methods lost a mean +/- SE of 4.9 +/- 1.5% of bone mineral density in the first 6 months following delivery. This was however reversible since by one year the bone mineral density was no different from that measured immediately post partum. Breast-feeding women using the progestogen-only pill lost a significantly smaller percentage of bone mineral density in 6 months and by one year bone mineral density was 2.95 +/- 0.75% higher than post partum. Artificially feeding women had a steady increase in bone mineral density in the first year and bone mineral density was on average 4.3 +/- 1.2% higher. CONCLUSION: Breast-feeding results in a reversible reduction in spinal bone mineral density. The small amounts of gestagen in the progesterone-only pill would appear to protect against this loss. The mechanism of this loss in bone mineral density and the potentially bone protective effects of gestagens require further study.

Adult↗

Mechanism of oestrogen and progesterone effects on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism: alteration in the insulin: glucagon molar ratio and hepatic enzyme activity.

As in women receiving oestrogens the administration of 17beta-oestradiol to ovariectomized female rats caused a rise in fasting plasma triglycerides and a fall in plasma glucose. Progesterone, on the other hand, had no significant effects. In the oestradiol treated rats, the portal vein basal insulin levels were slightly reduced. Oestradiol, however, had a marked suppressive effect on the alpha cells of the pancreas resulting in a greater reduction in basal glucagon and impaired glucagon response to alanine infusions. The relative insulin to glucagon (I/G) molar concentration ratio in portal vein blood was increased. Oestradiol also produced a dose dependent increase in the activity of the liver lipogenic enzymes, acetyl CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthetase. On the other hand, the activity of the gluconeogenic rate limiting enzyme phosphoenol-pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) was inhibited. The cross-over pattern of gluconeogenic intermediates confirmed inhibition of gluconeogenesis at this step, an effect which is similar to that induced by relative insulin 'excess'. Progesterone produced an increase in the portal vein insulin concentrations. Both the basal and the alanine-stimulated glucagon levels were also increased. The I/G molar ratio in portal vein blood of progesterone treated rats remained unaltered and the hepatic lipogenic and gluconeogenic enzyme activities were similar to control animals. These data suggest that insulin activity is increased relative to glucagon in the liver of oestradiol-treated rats due to the rise in portal vein I/G ratio. The changes in liver lipogenic and gluconeogenic enzymes and the alterations in fasting plasma triglycerides and glucose in response to oestrogens could be secondary to this effect.

Acetyl Coenzyme A↗

Translation of the mRNA for rabbit uteroglobin in cell-free systems. Evidence for a precursor protein.

Uteroglobin, an hormonally induced protein composed of two similar subunits, represents around 50% of the proteins synthesized and secreted into the uterine lumen of rabbits treated sequentially with estradiol and progesterone. The endometrium of these animals was used as a source for the isolation of the mRNA for uteroglobin. Poly(A)-rich RNA, extracted from purified polysomes with phenol chloroform and isolated on oligo(dT)-cellulose columns, contains one fourth of the total protein coding activity of the endometrium. Between 20--25% of the polypeptides synthesized by this RNA in cell-free systems derived from Krebs II ascites cells or wheat germs react with a monospecific antiserum prepared in guinea pigs against uteroglobin. The material bound to the antibody was identified as a precursor of uteroglobin according to the following criteria. 1. The product synthesized in vitro can be displaced from the complex with the specific immunoglobulin by purified uteroglobin. 2. Analysis of the immunoprecipitate on polyacrylamide gels containing urea and dodecylsulfate demonstrate the existence of a single labelled polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight larger than the uteroglobin subunits. 3. The tryptic digest of this polypeptide, labelled in vitro with [3H]lysine, shares seven peptides with mature uteroglobin labelled with the same amino acid in perfused uteri, and exhibits and additional peptide not present in uteroglobin. 4. Injection of the same mRNA preparation into Xenopus oocytes results in the production of uteroglobin. The endometrium of intact animals treated with estradiol alone also contains the same mRNA bound to polysomes but in a smaller proportion, indicating that the progesterone-induced synthesis of uteroglobin is accompanied by an accumulation of the specific mRNA in the polysomes.

Animals↗

Progesterone inhibition in mid-trimester termination of pregnancy: physiological and clinical effects.

A double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial was conducted to assess the clinical and physiological effects of 'epostane', a progesterone synthesis inhibitor, in mid-trimester prostaglandin termination of pregnancy. Mean peripheral progesterone levels had fallen by 74% after 72 h in the patients treated wtih epostane. The mean induction-abortion interval in the treatment group was 490 (SD 271) min, compared with 1432 (SD 640) min in the control group. Intrauterine pressure recording demonstrated increased sensitivity to prostaglandin E2 after epostane treatment but no change in oxytocin sensitivity. The clinical implications of facilitated induction of abortion are discussed.

Abortifacient Agents↗