Urinary excretion of prenanediol in human subjects following the administration of progesterone and of pregnane-3α:20α-diol. 2

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Abstract
Previous findings that the pregnant woman can convert a higher proportion of admd. progesterone into urinary pregnanediol than can human subjects in whom endogenous progesterone production is minimal were confirmed. When progesterone is admd. daily (intramusc. or orally) to normal post-menopausal women for periods up to 27 days, the daily urinary pregnanediol excretion reaches on the 2d or 3d day a preliminary plateau level which is maintained until the 5th-8th day. The daily pregnanediol excretion then rises and at about the 12th to 16th day reaches a 2d plateau which is then maintained. This phenomenon has been termed a "progesterone priming effect." No priming effect was observed when progesterone was admd. daily to normal men or to hysterecto-mized-ovariectomized and hysterectomized post-menopausal women. Apparently the uterus is neccessary for the manifestation of progesterone "priming." No priming effect was observed when pregnane-3[alpha], 20[alpha]-diol was admd. daily (orally) to normal post-menopausal women.