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Related Experiment Videos

All progestins are not created equal.

Frank Z Stanczyk1

  • 1Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Women's and Children's Hospital, 1240 N. Mission Road, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA. gstanczk@socal.rr.com

Steroids
|December 12, 2003
PubMed
Summary
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Progestins, used therapeutically, vary significantly in structure, metabolism, and potency. Understanding these differences is crucial for effective clinical application and avoiding misconceptions about their effects.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Endocrinology
  • Medicinal Chemistry

Background:

  • Progestins are vital therapeutic agents with diverse chemical structures.
  • Classification includes progesterone-related (pregnanes, 19-norpregnanes) and testosterone-related (17-ethinyl, non-17-ethinyl) compounds.
  • Oral progestins undergo extensive hepatic metabolism, often necessitating high therapeutic doses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the classification and characteristics of therapeutic progestins.
  • To highlight the variability in progestin metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and potency.
  • To address misconceptions regarding progestin androgenicity.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of progestin classification based on chemical structure.
  • Analysis of metabolic pathways, including hepatic first-pass metabolism.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of pharmacokinetic data and potency assessment methods.
  • Review of studies comparing human and animal progestational activity and androgenicity.

    • Main Results:

    • Progestins are chemically diverse, categorized by structural relation to progesterone or testosterone.
    • 17-Ethinylated progestins include norethindrone and levonorgestrel families.
    • Significant inter-species differences exist in progestin activity, and rat data may not accurately predict human androgenicity.

    Conclusions:

    • Progestins exhibit wide variations in chemical structure, metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and potency.
    • Accurate assessment requires consideration of species-specific data.
    • Clinical use necessitates understanding these distinct progestin profiles.