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Progesterone and norethisterone have different effects on tachykinin-like immunoreactivity in rat cortex and striatum
O Rugarn1, M Hammar, E Theodorsson
1Faculty of Health Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Linköping University Hospital, S-581 85, Linköping, Sweden. mats.hammar@kkl.us.lio.se
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of progesterone and the most commonly prescribed synthetic progestogen, norethisterone, on regional immune-like reactivity of neuropeptide Y (NPY), substance P (SP), neurokinin A (NKA) and neurotensin (NT) in brains of female ovariectomized estradiol-substituted rats.
Results:
Norethisterone+estradiol-treated rats had 44% lower SP levels compared with estradiol-only-treated in frontal cortex and 20% lower NKA levels in comparison with progesterone+estradiol-treated in frontal cortex. Progesterone+estradiol-treated rats had 66% lower SP levels in striatum in comparison with both estradiol-only-treated and norethisterone+estradiol-treated. No significant results were found for NPY and NT.
Conclusion:
Progesterone and the synthetic progestogen, norethisterone, have different effects on SP- and NKA-like immunoreactivity in rat cortex and striatum. The effects of NET on SP- and NKA-like immunoreactivity in frontal cortex may contribute to the mood effects ascribed to this progestogen in clinical usage.