progesterone cream
Differences in reproductive performance, embryo development, interferon-tau secretion by the conceptus and luteal function in ewe lambs synchronized in oestrus before or after the spontaneous onset of luteal activity preceding puberty.

Abecia JA, Forcada F, Zuniga O.

University of Zaragoza, Department of Animal Production and Food Science, Faculty of Veterinary, Zaragoza, Spain. alf posta.unizar.es

In mid-September, 1 month before the insertion of intravaginal pessaries to induce sexual activity, blood samples were collected every 4 days from 16 ewe lambs aged 7 months, in order to determine the incidence of ovulations by measurement of plasma progesterone concentrations. It has been studied whether the response to a progestagen treatment of ewe lambs apparently close to puberty could be modified by the onset of the ovarian events preceding puberty. The effect of the presence or absence of ovulations prior to progestagen treatment on the potential reproductive performance (fertility, litter size and fecundity), embryo development [embryo quality and interferon-tau (IFNtau) secretion], luteal function (progesterone secretion in vitro) and endometrial progesterone content was studied in seven ovulating (Ov+) and nine nonovulating ewe lambs (Ov-) on day 14 after mating. The best potential reproductive results were obtained with Ov+ animals, although these differences could not be initially attributed to either different progesterone secretion in vitro or concentration of endometrial progesterone. Irrespective of the experimental groups, secretion of progesterone by luteal tissue from ewe lambs with normal embryos was significantly greater (p<0.05) than that of animals with abnormal embryos or with no embryos. Normal embryos secreted a higher amount of IFN-tau than those embryos classified as abnormal (p<0.07). In conclusion, ewe lambs which exhibit luteal activity before puberty have the highest levels of reproductive performances after a progestagen treatment. Corpora lutea from ewe lambs with normal embryos had higher rates of progesterone secretion in vitro and their embryos had a higher IFN-tau production by the embryos, indicating greater capacity for subsequent development.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11328559&dopt=Abstract progesterone, progesterone cream



progesterone cream
Magnitude and variability of sequential estradiol and progesterone concentrations in women using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate for contraception.

Clark MK, Sowers M, Levy BT, Tenhundfeld P.

College of Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA. mary-clark uiowa.edu

OBJECTIVE: To describe the magnitude and variability of sequential serum estradiol and progesterone concentrations throughout one depot medroxyprogesterone (DMPA) injection interval. DESIGN: Prospective study.Setting: Family planning and women's health clinics. PATIENT(S): Thirty-one women, ages 19 to 46, using DMPA for contraception. INTERVENTION(S): Serum for estrogen and progesterone was collected weekly throughout one DMPA injection interval. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Serum estradiol and progesterone concentrations; estradiol patterns produced from data plotted across the entire DMPA injection interval. RESULT(S): The average daily estradiol concentrations ranged from 7.9 to 69.1 pg/mL, with a mean of 18.9 +/- 12.9 and a median of 15.4 pg/mL. Average daily progesterone concentrations ranged from 0.14 to 1.1 ng/mL, with a mean of 0.40 +/- 0.19 ng/mL and a median of 0.36 ng/mL. Two general patterns of estradiol concentrations were identified. One pattern, observed in approximately one third of the participants, reflected estradiol concentrations that were extremely low (mean, 12.7 +/- 3.6 pg/mL; median, 13.4 pg/mL) and consistently flat across the DMPA injection interval. The second pattern, seen in the remaining participants, reflected estradiol concentrations that were higher (mean, 22.2 +/- 14.9 pg/mL; median, 17.3 pg/mL) and quite variable. CONCLUSION(S): This study demonstrated that estradiol concentrations were lower than the 40 to 50 pg/mL reported in most studies and, for the majority of women, varied substantially across the DMPA injection interval.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11334896&dopt=Abstract progesterone, progesterone cream



progesterone cream
Gestational progesterone suppresses embryotoxic action of the complement system to chick embryo.

Zeman M, Novakova P.

Charles University, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Center of Biomedical Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic. michal.zeman quick.cz

OBJECTIVE: In this paper the relation between progesterone levels and embryotoxic effect of serum complement was studied. DESIGN: The aim of this study was to validate hypothesis that progesterone is strong inhibitor of complement embryotoxic action. SETTING: We used chick embryo like an experimental model for evidence of our hypothesis. We treated chick embryos by sera acquired from healthy pregnant woman with physiologically elevated levels of progesterone and normal complement activity. We investigated embryotoxicity of these sera. RESULT: We noticed a significant decrease of sera embryotoxicity inversely related to serum levels of progesterone. The main finding: The embryotoxicity of sera is reversally dependent on progesterone level. CONCLUSIONS: These findings bring a new knowledge to the role of progesterone and complement system mainly in initial stages of pregnancy and in some cases of spontaneous abortions.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11335877&dopt=Abstract progesterone, progesterone cream



progesterone cream
Progesterone induces activation in Octopus vulgaris spermatozoa.

Tosti E, Di Cosmo A, Cuomo A, Di Cristo C, Gragnaniello G.

Cell Biology Department, Stazione Zoologica, Naples, Italy. tosti alpha.szn.it

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether Octopus vulgaris spermatozoa are activated by progesterone stimulation. Spermatozoa were collected from the spermatophores in the Needham's sac of the male (MS) and from the spermathecae of oviducal glands of the female (FS). We used transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopy to study the morphology of untreated, Ca2+ ionophore A23187 and progesterone-treated MS spermatozoa, and untreated FS spermatozoa. We showed that ionophore and progesterone stimulation of MS spermatozoa induce breakdown of the membranes overlapping the acrosomal region, exposing the spiralized acrosome. These modifications resemble the acrosome reaction observed in other species. FS stored in the spermathecae did not show the membranes covering the acrosomal region present in the MS spermatozoa. When ionophore and progesterone treatments were performed in Ca2+-free artificial sea water, no changes were observed, suggesting the role of external calcium in modifying membrane morphology. Lectin studies showed a different fluorescence distribution and membrane arrangement of FS-untreated spermatozoa with respect to the MS, suggesting that spermatozoa transferred in the female genital tract after mating, are stored in a pre-activated state. The plasma membrane of the untreated MS and FS spermatozoa was labelled with Progesterone-BSA-FITC, indicating the presence of plasma membrane progesterone receptor. Taken together these data suggest that progesterone induces an acrosome- like reaction in MS spermatozoa similar to that induced by calcium elevation. In addition progesterone may play a role in the pre-activation of spermatozoa stored in the female tract, further supporting the hypothesized parallelism between cephalopods and vertebrates.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11335951&dopt=Abstract progesterone, progesterone cream



progesterone cream
Antidepressant-like actions of pregnancy, and progesterone in Wistar rats forced to swim.

Molina-Hernandez M, Tellez-Alcantara NP.

Laboratorio de Conducta, Instituto de Investigaciones Psicologicas, Universidad Veracruzana, PO Box 361, 91000 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. mimoli bugs.invest.uv.mx

In rats, some behavioral changes occurring during pregnancy related to the presence of progesterone may be analyzed in the forced swimming task (FST), which is designed to test the antidepressant profile of drugs. The present study was aimed to analyze in pregnant rats, in rats after delivery, or in rats after receiving progesterone those behavioral changes displayed in the FST. We hypothesize that pregnancy and progesterone will produce antidepressant-like effects in rats forced to swim. Therefore, pregnant rats (14th, 17th, and 20th days), or rats after delivery (3rd, and 7th days) were tested in the FST. Ovariectomized rats receiving saline (0.9%; i.p.), clomipramine (1.25 mg/kg; i.p.), or desipramine (2.14 mg/kg; i.p.) for 28 days were also tested in the FST. In a second series of experiments, ovariectomized rats receiving vehicle or progesterone (0.5 mg/kg; or 2.0 mg/kg; sc.) were tested in the FST. Locomotion was evaluated in the open field test. Results showed that in the FST: 1) pregnancy (P < 0.05), or progesterone (P < 0.05), or desipramine (P < 0.05), reduced immobility by increasing climbing; 2) clomipramine (P < 0.05) reduced immobility by increasing swimming; 3) rats tested after delivery displayed similar behavior than control rats. A lower locomotion was observed only at the end of pregnancy. In conclusion, results suggest that during pregnancy, a reproductive process characterized by its high levels of progesterone, antidepressant-like effects can be found.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11337132&dopt=Abstract progesterone, progesterone cream



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Progesterone transformation as a biochemical aid in classification of the genus Emericella.

Zohri AA.

Date Processing Plant, Al-Ahsa Food Industries Co., Al-Ahsa 31 982, Saudi Arabia.

A total of 65 isolates representing 13 Emericella taxa (5 isolates of each of 12 species and 1 variety) had the ability to transform progesterone into 11 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone. A systematic variation could be observed between the different tested Emericella taxa with respect to the transformation products. The isolates were divided according to the transformation types into six groups: (1) progesterone was hydroxylated into 6 beta-hydroxyprogesterone, 11 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and 6 beta,11 alpha-dihydroxyprogesterone--found in Emericella acristata and E. dentata; (2) E. aurantio-brunna and E. parvathecia hydroxylated progesterone into 11 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and 11 alpha,17 alpha-dihydroxyprogesterone; (3) E. nidulans and E. quadrilineata formed the same three products as members of group (2) and form epicortisol; (4) E. nidulans var. lata, E. bicolor and E. variecolor transformed progesterone into a mixture of mono-, di- and trihydroxy products; (5) E. striata and E. sublata exhibited an oxidative splitting of the progesterone side chain in position C-17 and hydroxylated progesterone into mono- and dihydroxy products; (6) E. rugulosa and E. unguis had the ability to degrade progesterone side-chain and to hydroxylate it into mono-, di- and trihydroxy products. This biochemical differentiation may supplement the morphological and other biochemical criteria used in the classification of the Emericella taxa.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11347266&dopt=Abstract progesterone, progesterone cream



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Progesterone effect mediated by the voltage-dependent calcium channel and protein kinase C on noncapacitated cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa.

Cordoba M, Beconi MT.

Area of Biochemistry, School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

An increase in intracellular calcium is essential to trigger capacitation and the acrosome reaction. The aim of this study was to determine the progesterone effect mediated by the voltage-dependent calcium channel and protein kinase C on heparin-capacitated and noncapacitated spermatozoa. Protein kinase C was activated by 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl glycerol, a membrane-permeant diacyl-glycerol, and inhibited by GF-109203X. The percentage of true acrosome reaction was evaluated using differential-interferential optical contrast microscopy and trypan blue stain. The calcium concentration was evaluated by FURA-2AM and methoxyverapamil was used as a voltage-dependent calcium channel inhibitor. A rapid calcium increase and acrosome reaction were induced by progesterone in capacitated and noncapacitated spermatozoa, a higher intracellular calcium increase being observed in capacitated than in noncapacitated samples (P < 0.05). The calcium increase and acrosome reaction were blocked significantly by GF-109203X in noncapacitated and capacitated spermatozoa by the addition of progesterone and/or 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol. Methoxyverapamil blocked calcium influx in samples treated with progesterone and heparin/progesterone, but not in those treated with 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl glycerol. Progesterone induces the acrosome reaction in noncapacitated cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa through intracellular mechanisms dependent on protein kinase C and the voltage-dependent calcium channel.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11350374&dopt=Abstract progesterone, progesterone cream