BACKGROUND In higher primates, although LH/CG play a critical role in the control of corpus luteum (CL) function, the direct effects of progesterone (P4) in the maintenance of CL structure and function are unclear. Several experiments were conducted in the bonnet monkey to examine direct effects of P4 on gene expression changes in the CL, during induced luteolysis and the late luteal phase of n...

The effect of progesterone (P4) on fructose rich diet (FRD) intake-induced metabolic, endocrine and parametrial adipose tissue (PMAT) dysfunctions was studied in the adult female rat. Sixty day-old rats were i.m. treated with oil alone (control, CT) or containing P4 (12 mg/kg). Rats ate Purina chow-diet ad libitum throughout the entire experiment and, between 100 and 120 days of age drank ad li...

Protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) plays a key role in cell signaling. The PH domain of PKB binds phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate translocating PKB to the plasma membrane for activation by 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1. The crystal structure of the headgroup inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate Ins(1,3,4,5)P4-PKB complex facilitates in silico ligand design. The novel achiral anal...

BACKGROUND The purpose of the study was to evaluate the role of Progesterone/ Estradiol (P4/E2) ratio as a predictive tool for clinical pregnancy in ART cycles with a premature progesterone rise of >1.5 ng/ml on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) trigger. METHODS Retrospective analysis was done on 569 fresh embryo transfer cycles from January 2011 to December 2012 at the infertilit...

Objective(s) Gastric ulceration is induced by various forms of stress like surgery, ischemia and trauma. The female sex has more resistance to stress and the gastrointestinal lesions happen fewer than male sex. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of estradiol and progesterone on the gastric acid and pepsin levels following traumatic brain injury (TBI) induction. Materials and M...

STUDY QUESTION Is there a critical period of progesterone (P4) withdrawal in a mouse menstrual-like model, and at what time after P4 withdrawal endometrial breakdown become irreversible? STUDY ANSWER Our results showed that a 12-16 h critical period of P4 withdrawal exists in the mouse menstrual-like model. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY P4 withdrawal is the trigger for endometrial breakdown and she...

The luteal phase of the female menstrual cycle is associated with both 1) elevated serum progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2), and 2) reduced insulin sensitivity. Recently, we demonstrated a link between skeletal muscle mitochondrial H(2)O(2) emission (mE(H2O2)) and insulin resistance. To determine whether serum levels of P4 and/or E(2) are related to mitochondrial function, mE(H2O2) and respir...

Blood serum progesterone (P4) levels in donor cows and heifers at donor selection, superovulation, insemination and embryo recovery were investigated. Significant differences in P4 levels in the investigated donors during superovulatory oestrus insemination were observed. The cows with low levels of P4 at insemination (5.8 ± 1.7 nmol/l) showed a better yield and quality of embryos (P<0.01) comp...

PURPOSE The expression of human insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) is regulated by the activation of four promoters (P1-P4) acting in a development-dependent, tissue-specific manner. IGF-II overexpression associated with P3 and P4 activation is observed in animal and human hepatocarcinogenesis. We correlated P4 epigenetic alteration with P4 transcript activation and clinicopathologic featur...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of replacing progesterone injections by progesterone vaginal inserts on productive and reproductive parameters of lactating cows with reproductive problems after prolonged periods of heat stress. Fifteen Holstein cows were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: 1) treated with two progesterone vaginal inserts (P4-INS); 2) treated with prog...