Anti-proliferative effects of progesterone antagonists in the primate endometrium: a potential role for the androgen receptor.
In women and non-human primates, treatment with anti-progestins suppresses oestrogen-dependent mitotic activity in the endometrial glands. This anti-proliferative effect is paradoxical, because anti-progestins do not bind to the oestrogen receptor. Although this phenomenon has been termed a 'non-competitive anti-oestrogenic effect', it does not occur in all species or in other regions of the primate reproductive tract, so is best referred to as an 'endometrial anti-proliferative effect'. The abundance of androgen receptors is greatly increased by anti-progestin treatment, especially in the glandular epithelium in non-human primates and women. Such an increase could lead to an enhancement of androgen action in the endometrium. As androgens suppress oestrogen-dependent endometrial proliferation, the increased abundance of androgen receptors could mediate the anti-proliferative effects of anti-progestin treatment. This brief review evaluates the implications of these findings.
Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton 97006, USA. brenner@ohsu.edu
Robert M
RM
Brenner
Ov D
OD
Slayden
Hilary O D
HO
Critchley
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006727:Hormone Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D011323:Primates / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000502:physiology*
D006727:Hormone Antagonists; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011374:Progesterone