Medroxyprogesterone
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Medroxyprogesterone (MP), is a
progestin A progestogen, also referred to as a progestagen, gestagen, or gestogen, is a type of medication which produces effects similar to those of the natural female sex hormone progesterone in the body. A progestin is a '' synthetic'' progestogen. ...
which is not used medically. A derivative,
medroxyprogesterone acetate Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), also known as depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) in injectable form and sold under the brand name Depo-Provera among others, is a hormonal medication of the progestin type. It is used as a method of ...
(MPA), is used as a medication in humans, and is far more widely known in comparison. ''Medroxyprogesterone'' is sometimes used as a synonym for ''medroxyprogesterone acetate'', and what is almost always being referred to when the term is used is MPA and not medroxyprogesterone.


Pharmacology


Pharmacodynamics

Compared to MPA, medroxyprogesterone is over two orders of magnitude less potent as a
progestogen Progestogens, also sometimes written progestins, progestagens or gestagens, are a class of natural or synthetic steroid hormones that bind to and activate the progesterone receptors (PR). Progesterone is the major and most important progestoge ...
. Medroxyprogesterone is also notable in that it is a minor
metabolite In biochemistry, a metabolite is an intermediate or end product of metabolism. The term is usually used for small molecules. Metabolites have various functions, including fuel, structure, signaling, stimulatory and inhibitory effects on enzymes, c ...
of MPA. In addition to its progestagenic activity, medroxyprogesterone is a weak
antiandrogen Antiandrogens, also known as androgen antagonists or testosterone blockers, are a class of drugs that prevent androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) from mediating their biological effects in the body. They act by blocking t ...
''in vitro'' on human
androgen receptor The androgen receptor (AR), also known as NR3C4 (nuclear receptor subfamily 3, group C, member 4), is a type of nuclear receptor that is activated by binding any of the androgenic hormones, including testosterone and dihydrotestosterone, in th ...
.


Chemistry

Medroxyprogesterone, also known as 6α-methyl-17α-hydroxyprogesterone or as 6α-methyl-17α-hydroxypregn-4-en-3,20-dione, is a
synthetic Synthetic may refer to: Science * Synthetic biology * Synthetic chemical or compound, produced by the process of chemical synthesis * Synthetic elements, chemical elements that are not naturally found on Earth and therefore have to be created in ...
pregnane
steroid A steroid is an organic compound with four fused compound, fused rings (designated A, B, C, and D) arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes t ...
and a
derivative In mathematics, the derivative is a fundamental tool that quantifies the sensitivity to change of a function's output with respect to its input. The derivative of a function of a single variable at a chosen input value, when it exists, is t ...
of
progesterone Progesterone (; P4) is an endogenous steroid and progestogen sex hormone involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis of humans and other species. It belongs to a group of steroid hormones called the progestogens and is the ma ...
. It is specifically a derivative of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone with a
methyl group In organic chemistry, a methyl group is an alkyl derived from methane, containing one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms, having chemical formula (whereas normal methane has the formula ). In formulas, the group is often abbreviated a ...
at the C6α position. The generic name of medroxyprogesterone is a contraction of 6α-methyl-17α-hydroxyprogesterone. It is closely related to medrogestone as well as other unesterified 17α-hydroxyprogesterone derivatives such as chlormadinone, cyproterone, and megestrol.


Society and culture


Generic names

''Medroxyprogesterone'' is the generic name of the drug and its and . Brand Name Meprate 10 Tablets (practo)


References

{{Progesterone receptor modulators Abandoned drugs Tertiary alcohols Alkene derivatives Diketones Pregnanes Progestogens