EFFECTS OF PROGESTERONE ADMINISTERED BY NASAL SPRAY ON THE HUMAN POSTMENOPAUSAL ENDOMETRIUM

The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of progesterone ( P) administered by nasal spray (NS) in inducing secretory changes with in estrogen and non-estrogen primed postmenopausal endometrium. Ten he althy post-menopausal women before vaginal hysterectomy for prolapse w ere randomly treated by either oral estrogens for 3-4 weeks combined f or the last 5-7 days with nasally administered P at the daily dose of 34 mg, or by only P for 6 days. Endometrial samples were taken before P administration and 8 h after the last dose. In the group not treated with estrogens, P did not induce significant secretory changes in any case except one which showed a proliferative endometrial pattern at t he first evaluation. In the group treated with estrogens, in all the c ases after P administration clear secretory changes (abundant vacuoles , endoluminal secretion) occurred. It is possible to conclude that P a dministered by NS exerts an end-organ effect within the endometrium of postmenopausal women pretreated with estrogens.