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Previous Volume 329:404-412 August 5, 1993 Number 6 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Antiprogestins, agents that inhibit the action of progesterone, are among the most controversial and yet the more interesting therapeutic compounds developed in the past 20 years. These agents provide the most effective and safest means of medical abortion, and in addition they may be used for the treatment of patients with cancer, Cushing's syndrome, and gynecologic disorders and for contraception. The first effective antiprogestin was mifepristone (also known as RU 486),¹ a derivative of the progestin norethindrone (Figure 1). By analogy with the antiestrogens, it is likely that the substitution at the 11 beta position is responsible for . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Pharmacology and Metabolism

Antiprogestational Activity

Physiology and Mechanism of Actio

            Endometrium

            Gonadotropin and Steroid Secretion

            Pregnant Uterus

Clinical Usefulnes

            Abortion Induced by Mifepristone Alone

            Abortion Induced by Mifepristone plus Prostaglandins

            Contraception

            Cervical Dilatation

            Induction of Labor

            Other Gynecologic Indications

            Breast Cancer

            Meningioma

Antiglucocorticoid Activity

Physiology

Antiglucocorticoid Application

Untoward Effects

Conclusions

Source Information

From the Center for Biomedical Research, the Population Council, 1230 York Ave., New York, NY 10021, where reprint requests should be addressed to Dr. Spitz.

References

This article has been cited by other articles:

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