Molecular pharmacology of estrogen and progesterone receptors

This chapter provides an update on the mechanisms of action of estrogen and progesterone. Particularly important concepts include nongenomic effects, receptor isoforms that affect agonist/antagonist actions, and the role of coactivators and corepressors in various tissues. The steroid hormones estrogen and progesterone are low-molecular weight, lipophilic hormones that through their action as modulators of distinct signal transduction pathways, are involved in the regulation of reproductive function. These hormones are also important regulators in bone, the cardiovascular system, and the central nervous system. Despite their different roles in these systems, it has become apparent that estrogens and progestins are mechanistically similar. Insights gleaned from the study of each hormone have advanced the understanding of this class of molecules as a whole. Some of the recent mechanistic discoveries that have occurred in the field are highlighted and the subsequent changes in our understanding of the pharmacology of this class of steroid hormones are explored. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Duke Scholars

Author Donald Patrick McDonnell Pharmacology & Cancer Biology