CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Progesterone exerts several effects in the central nervous system not directly involved inreproduction or sex behavior. Non-reproductive effects are better observed under pathologicalconditions, and include stimulation of myelin formation, neurogenesis andneurosteroidogenesis, preserved mitochondrial function, neuroprotection, anti-inflammatoryeffects, decreased glutamate excitotoxicity, and regulation of mood, memory and cognition. Inaddition, the progesterone reduced derivative allopregnanolone shows anxiolytic, sedative andanesthetic properties after binding to GABAa receptors. In the present report we provideexamples of [1] progesterone effects on the local synthesis of steroids (?neurosteroids?) in ademyelination model, [2] the requirement of the classical progesterone receptor for the antiinflammatoryeffects in mice with spinal cord injury, and [3] the protective role of progesteroneand allopregnanolone in a mouse model of neurodegeneration. In conclusion, the beneficialeffects observed in different experimental paradigms support the versatile properties ofprogesterone in animal models of central nervous system disorders.