Progesterone and progestins have been demonstrated to enhance breast cancer cell migration, although the mechanisms are still not fully understood. The protease-activated receptors (PARs) are a family of membrane receptors that are activated by serine proteases in the blood coagulation cascade. PAR1 (F2R) has been reported to be involved in cancer cell migration and overexpressed in breast canc...

Neudesin (neuron-derived neurotrophic factor; NENF) was identified as a neurotrophic factor that is involved in neuronal differentiation and survival. It is abundantly expressed in the central nervous system, and its neurotrophic activity is exerted via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathways. Neudesin is also an anorexigenic factor that sup...

We describe a granular cell tumour developing in clear cell meningioma of the falx. Granular and clear cells showed immunoreactivity for vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen and progesterone receptors. This is the first case documenting arachnoid origin of neoplastic granular cells in meningioma.

Follicle growth in the mammalian ovary is coordinately controlled by multiple factors to sustain periodic ovulation. In this study, we investigated the role of progesterone on follicle growth in the mouse ovary. As the concentration of progesterone changes during the estrus cycle, we cultured the sliced mouse ovary in a medium containing 10 ng/ml, 100 ng/ml, and 1 μg/ml progesterone. Progestero...

In addition to their role as direct regulators of gene transcription mediated by classical nuclear hormone receptors, steroid hormones have also been described to exert rapid effects on intracellular signalling pathways independent of gene transcription. This chapter focuses on recent advances in our understanding of the receptors and mechanisms that mediate these rapid signalling actions of oe...