title: Early and late hormonal changes following progesterone injection to patients with secondary amenorrhea.
abstract: In humans, progesterone (Po) administration has been shown capable of eliciting luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin surges in a good estrogenic milieu, but whether such changes induce corpus luteum function still remains controversial. We therefore proposed to explore further the second hypothesis in a placebo-controlled type of study. In patients with secondary amenorrhea and low circulating estradiol (E2) levels with or without ovaries, a 50-mg progesterone injection induced only a short and transient rise in plasma Po levels. On the other hand, a similar injection to patients with mid-to late follicular levels of circulating E2 and intact ovaries induced a surge of plasma LH and prolactin which was followed by a sustained elevation in plasma Po. Furthermore, a rise in basal body temperature accompanied by evidence of secretory endometrium was also observed in these patients. It is concluded that, in a proper endocrine milieu, progesterone administration may induce luteinization in human subjects.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D002369:Castration; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000187:drug effects*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D010919:Placebos; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone