title: Progesterone administration induces preimplantation embryonic loss in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of progesterone during early pregnancy on pregnancy maintenance in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental study or laboratory investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  An established molecular reproduction laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, S.V. University.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy virgin female Swiss albino mice of 8 weeks of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  After confirmation of the heat period, adult female mice were mated with mature healthy males to achieve pregnancy. Inseminated females received intraperitoneal injections of progesterone at doses of 0, 1, 3.5, 7, 15, 25, or 50 mg/kg body weight on the first, third, and seventh day of pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preimplantation embryonic loss.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pregnancy failure was evidenced by reduction in the number of embryos in females injected with 7 (25.12 %), 15 (38.44 %), 25 (100%), and 50 (100%) mg progesterone/kg body weight. In females with a successful pregnancy, the numbers of corpora lutea and postimplantation loss per dam were comparable across all groups. No increase in the incidence of malformed fetuses was found in any progesterone-treated groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of supranormal levels of progesterone during early pregnancy caused a reduction in the number of implantations and an increase in preimplantation loss in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, India.
authors.forename: Challa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harini
authors.forename: Sri Bhashyam
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Sainath
authors.forename: Pamanji Sreenivasula
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D020964:Embryo Loss / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone