Abstract
In women and non-human primates, treatment with anti-progestins suppresses oestrogen-dependent mitotic activity in the endometrial glands. This anti-proliferative effect is paradoxical, because anti-progestins do not bind to the oestrogen receptor. Although this phenomenon has been termed a 'non-competitive anti-oestrogenic effect', it does not occur in all species or in other regions of the primate reproductive tract, so is best referred to as an 'endometrial anti-proliferative effect'. The abundance of androgen receptors is greatly increased by anti-progestin treatment, especially in the glandular epithelium in non-human primates and women. Such an increase could lead to an enhancement of androgen action in the endometrium. As androgens suppress oestrogen-dependent endometrial proliferation, the increased abundance of androgen receptors could mediate the anti-proliferative effects of anti-progestin treatment. This brief review evaluates the implications of these findings.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 167-172 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Reproduction |
Volume | 124 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2002 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Reproductive Medicine
- Embryology
- Endocrinology
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Cell Biology