Early glycogenesis in the uterine glandular cells of the rabbit induced by progestins: a quantitative investigation.

A single administration of progesterone (P) to primed immature rabbits induces the appearance of glycogen in uterine glandular cells. This phenomenon, which is rapid and transitory, precedes a mitotic surge in the glandular epithelium. Ultrastructural studies allowed us to observe the beginning of glycogenesis as early as 1 h after the injection of P. Quantitative image analysis in the course of a kinetic study showed that glycogen levels reached a maximum at the sixth h and after 24 h had fallen dramatically. Promegestone, a potent progestomimetic compound, gave similar results, but estradiol, testosterone and dexamethasone failed to induce the appearance of glycogen in the uterine glands. Mifepristone (RU 486) had an antagonistic effect on the action of P. These results suggest that early P-dependent glycogenesis in the endometrial glandular cells of the rabbit may play an important role in the increased rate of mitosis and cellular proliferation that are necessary events in preparing the endometrium for implantation.