The Effects Of Metformin And Diabinese On Female Sex Hormone Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients
[UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN TEACHING HOSPITAL (UITH), ILORIN, KWARA STATE]

Progesterone can further be converted to a variety of steroid hormones and is a precursor of the mineral ocorticoidaldosterone, the glucocorticoid cortisol, and the sex steroid androstenedione (Strauss, 2014). Androstenedione can, in turn, be converted to testosterone, estrogen, and estradiol. An inhibitor of progesterone metabolism, finasteride, prevents the conversion of progesterone to allopregnanolone.
This inhibitor has been shown to reduce the subjective responses to alcohol in clinical studies (Finn et al., 2016;Pierucci-Lagha et al., 2015). Progesterone acts primarily via intracellular progesterone receptors. Although the progesterone receptor is expressed by a single gene on chromosome 11q22, it is represented by two main isoforms, A and B, that differ in molecular weight (Rhen and Cidlowski, 2014). These isoforms may occur indifferent cells, and the A form is more prevalent (Rhen and Cidlowski, 2014; Vegeto et al., 2013).
2.7.2    SIGNIFICANCE OF PROGESTERONE
Progesterone receptors are present in abundance throughout the body and are specifically found in the brain (hypothalamus and pituitary) of primates and humans (Luetjens et al., 2016), the thymus (Ishibashi et al., 2013), the cardiovascular system (aortic PR-A isoform more prevalent in women and in men; Nakamura et al., 2015), the mammary gland of primates and humans (Luetjens et al., 2016; Russo, et al.,2009), the reproductive tract (in uterus, cervix, vagina, ovaries) in women (Christow et al., 2012), and in the testes, prostate, and seminal vesicles of primates and men (Luetjens et al., 2016; Williams et al., 2011). Progesterone receptors are also present in bones (MacNamara et al., 2015; Tremollieres et al., 2012), the pancreas (Friess et al., 2011), the gastrointestinal tract (Franz et al., 2006; Meggouh et al., 2011; Meggouh et al., 2011; Oettling and Franzm 2008; Singh et al., 2013; Xiao et al., 2015), and the bladder and urethra (Blakeman et al., 2010; Celayir et al., 2012). Thus, it appears that progesterone plays an important role in the regulation of many body functions in addition to reproduction. Progesterone and its neuroactive metabolites, such as allopregnanolone, are also involved in modulation of sleep (Soderpalm et al., 2014), memory, and gonadotropin secretion and have neuroprotective abilities, such as facilitating myelinization in both the CNS and PNS (Backstrom et al., 2015). They also have effects on sexual behaviour and respiratory function, control appetite and weight gain, modulate tumorigenesis in the CNS, and are involved in the pathogenesis of affective disorders and epilepsy (Oettel and Mukhopadhyay, 2014).
2.8    ESTROGEN AND PROGESTERONE REGULATION
    The hypothalamus is located in the brain and secretes  Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) which travels down the anterior portion of the pituitary via the hypophyseal portal system and binds to receptors on the secretory cells of the adenohypophysis (Millar et al., 2004). In response to GnRH stimulation these cells produce LH and FSH, which travel into the blood stream and play an important role in communicating to the gonads (Charlton, 2008).