In Vitro Metabolism of Progesterone by Canine Hair Follicle Cells

The study investigated the in vitro metabolism of progesterone by dermal papilla cells (DPC) and dermal fibroblasts (DFB) from hair follicles of four male, castrated beagle dogs. The cells were incubated with radioactive progesterone for 24 hours. In DFB, the primary metabolites identified were cortisol and 4-pregnene-11β-ol-3,20-dione, while in DPC, they were 5α-pregnane-3,20-dione and cortisol. The highest progesterone metabolism occurred in the DFB from the head. Other metabolites were present in smaller amounts in both cell types and locations.