Endocrine Abstracts

The ovarian enzyme 20alpha-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase (20HSD) plays a central role in the termination of pregnancy in rodents. The enzyme which is expressed mainly in the corpus luteum, catalyzes the reduction of progesterone to 20alpha hydropregn-4en-3-one which is biologically inactive and cannot maintain pregnancy. During pregnancy ovarian 20HSD expression is inhibited, activity peaked in the CL of pregnancy about 24 hrs before parturition at the same time that progester...

20alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20αHSD) has been initially characterized as a progesterone metabolizing enzyme of the ovary mandatory for the final reduction of progesterone blood levels before parturition. As the exact zonal distribution and regulation of adrenal 20αHSD has not been defined, adrenal 20αHSD expression and activity was determined by western blotting, immunohistochemistry and enzymatic assays in wild type BALB/c mice of both genders at diffe...