Are high-affinity progesterone binding site(s) from porcine liver microsomes members of the sigma receptor family?

Membrane progesterone binding sites have been purified recently from pig liver. Since progesterone is considered as an endogenous sigma (sigma) receptor ligand, these sites were characterized pharmacologically by ligands selective for sigma receptor and dopamine receptor binding sites, and by other drugs from distinct pharmacological classes. Binding studies using the radioligand [3H]progesterone were done in crude membrane preparations and solubilized fractions to determine half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values, from which inhibitory constants (Ki values) were calculated. Radioligand binding was inhibited by the sigma receptor ligands haloperidol, carbetapentane citrate, 1,3-Di(2-tolyl)guanidine (DTG), R(-)-N-(3-phenyl-1-propyl)-1-phenyl-2 aminopropane HCl (R(-)-PPAAP HCl), or sigma receptor antagonists like (+)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-propylpiperidine HCl (R(+)-PPP HCl) and cis-9-[3-(3,5-dimethyl-1-piperazinyl)propyl]-9H-carbazole dihydrochloride (rimcazole 2HCl). The hierarchy of inhibitory action was not fully compatible with either sigma receptor class I (moderate affinity of pentazocine, diphenylhydantoin (phenytoin) insensitivity) or II sites (high affinity of carbetapentane). The data thus suggest that progesterone binding sites in porcine liver membranes are related to the sigma receptor binding site superfamily, but may represent a particular species with progesterone specificity.