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This version published online on February 28, 2008
Endocrinology, doi:10.1210/en.2008-0011
A more recent version of this article appeared on June 1, 2008
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Submitted on January 3, 2008
Accepted on February 12, 2008

Mini-reviews: Synthesis and function of hypothalamic neuroprogesterone in reproduction

Paul Micevych* and Kevin Sinchak

Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095; & Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, CA 90840

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pmicevych{at}mednet.ucla.edu.

The physiology and regulation of steroid synthesis in the brain has emerged as important for understanding brain function. Neurosteroids, those steroids synthesized de novo in nervous tissue have been associated with numerous central nervous system functions including myelination, mental retardation and epilepsy. Central regulation of reproduction was thought to depend on steroids of peripheral origin. Only recently has the role of neurosteroids in reproduction been appreciated. This mini-review describes our work trying to understand how circulating estradiol modulates the synthesis of neuroprogesterone. The synthesis of neuroprogesterone occurs primarily in astrocytes and requires the interaction of membrane associated estrogen receptor with metabotropic glutamate receptor and the release of intracellular calcium stores. The newly synthesized neuroprogesterone acts on estradiol-induced progesterone receptors in nearby neurons to initiate the luteinizing hormone surge.
Key words: neurosteroids • estrogen positive feedback • neurotransmission • estrogen receptor • mGluR • progesterone • progesterone receptor




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J. D. Blaustein
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