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Progesterone receptors in the human uterus and their possible role in parturition

Joseph H H Thijssen1

  • 1Laboratory of Endocrinology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, PO Box 85090, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands. J.Thijssen@AZU.NL

The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
|October 1, 2005
PubMed

An overview is given on the role of progesterone in parturition in the human. Progesterone withdrawal is considered to be a major event for the beginning of parturition. However, in the human, no evidence exists in favour of a decline in placental progesterone production prior to labour. Progesterone actions are mediated by two functionally different but structurally highly related intranuclear proteins, progesterone receptor (PR) A and PRB. In the human, functional progesterone withdrawal is thought to play a role. This may be mediated by a change in the expression of the two isoforms of the PR, with an increase in the PRA:PRB ratio, and this is accompanied by an increase in the expression of the estrogen receptor. These mechanisms are considered to be critical for the endocrine control of parturition.

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