title: Progesterone receptors in the human uterus and their possible role in parturition.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Endocrinology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, PO Box 85090, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands. J.Thijssen@AZU.NL
authors.forename: Joseph H H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Thijssen
mesh_terms: D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036801:Parturition / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D011374:Progesterone