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EDRI Federal Project Inventory:
Non-Genomic Action of Progesterone Upon the CNS
- Sponsor Organization: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
- Project Title: THE NON-GENOMIC ACTION OF PROGESTERONE (P) UPON THE CNS
- Project Focus: HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS
- Description: Sex steroids, including progesterone, modify specific tissues in the
body by binding tounique proteins called nuclear steroid receptors and
activating specific genes in the cellsof that tissue. Dr. Ramirez is
studying how the sex hormone progesterone exerts its action upon the
central nervous system (CNS) of female and male rats. In the
CNS,progesterone appears to bind to specific binding sites on the
membranes, indicating thatprogesterone, besides acting on the genes of
the cells, can also alter the function of neurons by binding to the
cell membrane. Progesterone appears to bind to a membraneprogesterone
receptor that is unique to the CNS of female rats since it is not
functionallyactive in the CNS of male rats. The specific objectives of
this study are: 1) to study thecharacteristics of the membrane binding
sites in membranes isolated from differentregions of the brain, 2) to
isolate and characterize a protein from the cerebellum of thebrain
that may be the membrane progesterone receptor, and 3) to demonstrate
that thismembrane progesterone receptor in the CNS is regulated by the
estrous cycle of thefemale rat. The unambiguous proof of the existence
of membrane molecules from theCNS that bind progesterone will help to
clarify some of the actions of steroids upon moodand behavior.
- References:
- Category: MODELS
- Subcategory: BASIC RESEARCH
- Keywords for Experimental System/Species: RODENT, MAMMAL, IN VIVO, IN VITRO, LABORATORY STUDIES
- Keywords for Experimental Endpoints: NEUROLOGICAL, REPRODUCTIVE, HORMONE MEASURES, SEX STEROIDS, PEPTIDE
HORMONES,PHYSIOLOGY, BREEDING BEHAVIOR, MOLECULAR, GENE EXPRESSION,
GROWTH, ADRENAL HORMONES,
- Chemical Agents: Sex Steroids
- Performing Institution: University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign
- Contact: Victor D Ramirez, 801 South Wright Street, Champaign, IL 61820
217 333-2186, vdramire@ux4.cso.uiuc.edu
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