title: Progesterone and its metabolites as therapeutic targets in psychiatric disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neurosteroids are molecules that regulate physiological functions of the CNS. There is increasing evidence suggesting that impaired neurosteroid biosynthesis has been associated with distinct psychiatric disorders. This review summarizes data from studies that have investigated the relationship between progesterone (PROG) and psychiatric disorders as well as the mechanisms potentially involved in PROG-induced neuroprotection.
  
  
  METHODS
  The review covers the role of PROG and its metabolites in psychiatric disorders, focusing on results from preclinical and some clinical studies that support the relationship between alterations on PROG levels and pathophysiology of psychiatric illness. We also discussed the main mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of PROG metabolites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our review points out the possible relationship between PROG and its metabolites and the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, both preclinical and clinical studies show that certain treatments (antidepressants or antipsychotics) may normalize the levels of PROG, suggesting that the amelioration of psychiatric symptoms may occur due to upregulation of PROG metabolites. Therefore, these results give support to new possibilities of treatment for patients with psychiatric symptoms from anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors to aggressive behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) , Porto Alegre , Brazil +55 51 33598845 ; +55 51 33598846 ; adrianerrosa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Giovana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bristot
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ascoli
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gubert
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Panizzutti
authors.forename: Flávio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kapczinski
authors.forename: Adriane R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Rosa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000502:physiology; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D011374:Progesterone
keywords: allopregnanolone; mood disorders; neurosteroids; progesterone; psychiatric disorders