3β-Dihydroprogesterone (3β-DHP), also known as 3β-hydroxyprogesterone, or pregn-4-en-3β-ol-20-one (4-pregnenolone, δ⁴-pregnenolone), is an endogenous steroid. It is

biosynthesized Biosynthesis is a multi-step, enzyme- catalyzed process where substrates are converted into more complex products in living organisms. In biosynthesis, simple compounds are modified, converted into other compounds, or joined to form macromolecules ...

by 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from progesterone. Unlike 3α-dihydroprogesterone (3α-DHP), 3β-DHP does not act as a

positive allosteric modulator In pharmacology and biochemistry, allosteric modulators are a group of substances that bind to a receptor to change that receptor's response to stimulus. Some of them, like benzodiazepines, are drugs. The site that an allosteric modulator binds to ...

of the GABA_A receptor, which is in accordance with the fact that other 3β-hydroxylated progesterone metabolites such as isopregnanolone and epipregnanolone similarly do not act as potentiators of this

receptor Receptor may refer to: * Sensory receptor, in physiology, any structure which, on receiving environmental stimuli, produces an informative nerve impulse *Receptor (biochemistry), in biochemistry, a protein molecule that receives and responds to a ...

and instead inhibit it as well as reverse the effects of potentiators like allopregnanolone. 3β-DHP has been reported to possess about the same

potency Potency may refer to: * Potency (pharmacology), a measure of the activity of a drug in a biological system * Virility * Cell potency, a measure of the differentiation potential of stem cells * In homeopathic dilutions, potency is a measure of how ...

as progesterone in a

bioassay A bioassay is an analytical method to determine the concentration or potency of a substance by its effect on living animals or plants (''in vivo''), or on living cells or tissues(''in vitro''). A bioassay can be either quantal or quantitative, dir ...

of progestogenic activity, whereas 3α-DHP was not assessed.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dihydroprogesterone, 3β- Sterols Ketones Pregnanes Progestogens

See also

References