title: Progesterone and norethisterone have different effects on tachykinin-like immunoreactivity in rat cortex and striatum.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Linköping University Hospital, S-581 85, Linköping, Sweden. mats.hammar@kkl.us.lio.se
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rugarn
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammar
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Theodorsson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D015288:Neurokinin A / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009640:Norethindrone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045167:Progesterone Congeners / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D013373:Substance P / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015320:Tachykinins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D045167:Progesterone Congeners; D015320:Tachykinins; D013373:Substance P; D009496:Neurotensin; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D015288:Neurokinin A; D009640:Norethindrone