title: Physiology, production and action of progesterone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this article is to review the physiology of progesterone and focus on its physiological actions on tissues such as endometrium, uterus, mammary gland, cardiovascular system, central nervous system and bones. In the last decades, the interest of researchers has focused on the role of progesterone in genomic and non-genomic receptor mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched PubMed up to December 2014 for publications on progesterone/steroidogenesis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A better understanding of the biological genomic and non-genomic receptor mechanisms could enable us in the near future to obtain a more comprehensive knowledge of the safety and efficacy of this agent during hormone replacement therapy (natural progesterone), in vitro fertilization (water-soluble subcutaneous progesterone), in traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease and diabetic neuropathy, even though further clinical studies are needed to prove its usefulness.
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Medicine Unit, GynePro Medical Group, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6744-6830
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taraborrelli
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane; D002467:Cell Nucleus; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004717:Endometrium / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000502:physiology; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D011374:Progesterone
keywords: Progesterone synthesis; genomic and non-genomic action; progesterone effects; window of implantation