Endocrinology of reproduction half of pregnancy, progesterone and prolactin prepare the mammary glands for lactation. Estrogens and progesterone promote mammary epithelial cell proliferation resulting in the formation of the primary and secondary ductal structure. Progesterone induces formation of tertiary side-branches in the mammary glands during puberty and during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle upon which lobuloalveolar structures form under the influence of prolactin. Prolactin stimulates lactogenesis. hCG appears to be soporific during pregnancy; levels of hCG correlate with sleep changes during pregnancy, and administration of hCG increases sleep in rats likely via neuronal LHCGR. Endocrinology of reproduction Hormonal regulation occurs at
Progesterone carboxymethyloxime potassium salt) showed water solubility that was increased by more than four orders of magnitude relative to progesterone (solubility = 9.44 mol/L and 0.0006 mol/L, respectively). In addition, it showed an "in vitro" terminal half-life in rat liver microsomes that was 363-fold longer than that of progesterone (half-life = 795.5 minutes and 2.2 minutes, respectively). As such, P4-3-CMO could have both improved absorption and increased metabolic stability relative to progesterone. However, the compound has not been further assessed nor studied in humans. Progesterone carboxymethyloxime Progesterone carboxymethyloxime, or progesterone 3-("O"-carboxymethyl)oxime (P4-3-CMO), is a progestin which was never marketed. It is an