Progesterone
Progesterone is a hormone found in the human body. It is produced in the adrenal glands, the gonads, the brain, and, during pregnancy, in the placenta. Progesterone consists of four interconnected cyclic hydrocarbons. It is a progestagen and is classified as a sex steroid hormone.
Secretion and Production
Progesterone is produced in and secreted from the adrenal glands, the gonads, the brain, and, during pregnancy, in the placenta. It is synthesized from cholesterol. Progesterone is found in both males and females. It is secreted in greatest concentrations during ovulation and pregnancy.
During ovulation, progesterone is responsible for preparing the uterus for implantation of a fertilized egg. If the egg is not fertilized, then progesterone levels decrease, leading to menstruation. After an egg is fertilized, progesterone inhibits the immune system to prevent it from rejecting the pregnancy. It is believed that progesterone levels play some role in the onset of labor. Additionally, during pregnancy, progesterone inhibits the secretion of breast milk.
Progesterone secretion also has some general effects in both males and females. It raises the core body temperature, reduces spasm, relaxes smooth muscle, widens bronchi, and regulates mucus. Progesterone regulates the immune system by acting as an anti-inflammatory agent. It reduces the activity of the gallbladder, normalizes blood clotting and vascular tone, normalizes zinc, copper, and cell oxygen levels, and normalizes the use of fat stores for energy. Finally, progesterone assists in thyroid function by promoting the development of osteoblasts and in nerve function by regulating myelin. Its promotion of the development of osteoblasts assists in the resilience of bone, teeth, gums, joints, tendons, skin, and ligaments.
Pharmacological Uses
Synthetic progesterone is available in many forms: oral, vaginal, rectal, and injectable. As a drug, progesterone has many uses:
Anovulatory Bleeding
Anovulatory bleeding is a condition in which a woman goes for long periods without a menstrual cycle when one should be expected. Synthetic progesterone can work to promote normal menstrual cycles in women who experience anovulatory bleeding.
Infertility Therapy
Progesterone is used as a drug in order to prepare the uterine lining for women undergoing fertility therapy.
Miscarriage Prevention
If a woman has experienced several miscarriages, they may be administered synthetic progesterone in order to promote the body’s acceptance of their pregnancy.
Multiple Sclerosis
Because it has some control over regulation of myelin, synthetic progesterone is believed to be beneficial to multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. MS is a disease that causes the gradual destruction of myelin. During pregnancy, destruction of myelin is stopped, and it is believed that this could also be the case if synthetic progesterone is administered to MS patients.
Transsexual Therapy
As is the case with other estrogens, synthetic progesterone is commonly used to promote female gender-specific characteristics in male-to-female transsexuals.
Progesterone Deficiency
For women whose bodies do not produce adequate amounts of progesterone, synthetic progesterone is commonly used as a treatment.