Anticonvulsant Activity of Progesterone and Neurosteroids in Progesterone Receptor Knockout Mice
June 2004
in “
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
”
New to Finasteride? There is a guide in the encyclopedia. Read the guide → Studysummary This study found that progesterone's antiseizure effects in mice occurred primarily through conversion to allopregnanolone, rather than through the progesterone receptor, as evidenced by results in PR knockout mice.
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The study examined the role of progesterone receptors (PR) in the anticonvulsant effects of progesterone using PR knockout (PRKO) mice. It was discovered that the anticonvulsant potency of progesterone was not reduced in PRKO mice compared to wild-type controls, and in some seizure models, PRKO mice even showed increased potency. The reversal of anticonvulsant effects by finasteride suggested that these effects were due to the conversion of progesterone to the neurosteroid allopregnanolone, rather than the action of PRs. This indicated that PRs were not necessary for the antiseizure effects of progesterone, which were mainly mediated by allopregnanolone.
