Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
Physiol Res. 2022 Apr 30;71(2):193-198. doi: 10.33549/physiolres.934824. Epub 2022 Mar 28.
Progesterone is a steroidal hormone that is produced from the corpus luteum of the ovaries and from the placenta. The main function of progesterone is to promote the secretory differentiation in the endometrium of the uterus and to maintain pregnancy by inhibiting uterine contractions throughout pregnancy. Progesterone performs its actions by activating the classical progesterone nuclear receptors that affect gene transcription and by the non-classical activation of cell surface membrane receptors that accounts for the rapid actions of progesterone. Besides the reproductive roles of progesterone, it exerts functions in many tissues and systems such as the nervous system, the bone, the vascular system, and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This review will summarize the recent literature that investigated the role of progesterone in GI tract motility. Most literature indicates that progesterone exerts an inhibitory role on gut smooth muscle cells in part by elevating nitric oxide synthesis which induces relaxation in smooth muscle. Moreover, progesterone inhibits the signaling pathways that lead to contraction such as Rho kinase inhibition. These data serve as a quick resource for the future directions of progesterone research that could lead to better understanding and more effective treatment of gender-related GI tract motility disorders.
孕激素是一种甾体激素，由卵巢的黄体和胎盘产生。孕激素的主要功能是促进子宫子宫内膜的分泌分化，并通过抑制整个孕期的子宫收缩来维持妊娠。孕激素通过激活经典的孕激素核受体来发挥作用，这些受体影响基因转录，通过非经典的激活细胞表面膜受体来发挥作用，这解释了孕激素的快速作用。除了孕激素的生殖作用外，它还在许多组织和系统中发挥作用，如神经系统、骨骼、血管系统和胃肠道（GI）道。这篇综述将总结最近研究孕激素在胃肠道动力中的作用的文献。大多数文献表明，孕激素通过增加诱导平滑肌松弛的一氧化氮合成，对肠道平滑肌细胞发挥抑制作用。此外，孕激素抑制导致收缩的信号通路，如 Rho 激酶抑制。这些数据为孕激素研究的未来方向提供了快速资源，这可能导致更好地理解和更有效地治疗与性别相关的胃肠道动力障碍。
