Progestin

Abstract

Progestin is a synthetic progestogen that has12 progestinic effects similar to progesterone. Pro-13 gesterone (4-pregnene-3,20-dione, P4) is an14 ovarian steroid hormone that plays a key role in15 the regulation of cell proliferation and differenti-16 ation in the female reproductive tract. Progester-17 one also regulates diverse biological effects in a18 broad range of tissues, even of the cardiovascular19 and the central nervous systems, and participates20 in the bone maintenance and regulation of thymic21 involution. Progesterone has also been impli-22 cated in the development and progression of23 ▶breast cancer. Progestogen defines the cate-24 gory of hormone molecules (natural and syn-25 thetic) that act like progesterone in the uterus,26 and the term progestin has been generally used27 to refer to both a series of synthetic hormonemolecules and progesterone. The generic term 28progestin refers to both progesterone and syn- 29thetic progestins.