Pharmacodynamics of progesterone women, this effect being the result of suppression of the mid-cycle surge in gonadotropin secretion, is 300 mg/day. However, this figure is based on limited clinical data. Conversely, treatment with a high dosage of oral progesterone of 100 mg four times per day (or 400 mg/day total) in men for 10 days that resulted in approximately mid-luteal phase levels of progesterone (7.9–9.4 ng/mL; measured by ) did not cause any change in testosterone levels, suggesting that progesterone has little or no antigonadotropic effect in males at typical clinical dosages. In addition, a study found that administration of 1,000 mg/day oral
Progesterone produced by the ovaries. Progesterone has also been shown to demonstrate effects on octopus spermatozoa. Progesterone is sometimes called the "hormone of pregnancy", and it has many roles relating to the development of the fetus: The fetus metabolizes placental progesterone in the production of adrenal steroids. Progesterone plays an important role in breast development in women. In conjunction with prolactin, it mediates lobuloalveolar maturation of the mammary glands during pregnancy to allow for milk production and thus lactation and breastfeeding of offspring following parturition (childbirth). Estrogen induces expression of the PR in breast tissue and hence progesterone is dependent on