Chemical Sampling Information
	Progesterone
Quick Links General Description Health Factors Monitoring Search    [use word(s)/phrase ] Table of Contents By Name A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z By CAS Number General Description Synonyms: Corlutin; Luteohormone; Pregnenedione; Pregn-4-ene-3,20-dione; Progestin; Progestone OSHA IMIS Code Number: P446 Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number: 57-83-0 NIOSH, Registry of Toxic Effects (RTECS) Identification Number: TW0175000 Chemical Description and Physical Properties: White, odorless crystals molecular formula: C21H30O2 molecular weight: 314.47 melting point: 129-130°C Health Factors National Toxicology Program (NTP) carcinogenic classification: Reasonably Anticipated to be Human Carcinogen [198 KB, PDF] International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) carcinogenic classification: Group 2B, Possibly carcinogenic to humans (progestins) [57 KB, PDF] Potential symptoms: Skin and eye irritation, photosensitivity which can result in dermatologic lesions; changes in mood. Health Effects: Toxic; may cause heritable genetic damage; may impair fertility; possible risk of harm to the unborn child Affected organs: Reproductive system; central nervous system Notes: Progesterone is an OSHA Select carcinogen, but no PEL has been established. Although progesterone is an endogenous hormone important for the maintenance of a normal pregnancy, it is listed in a NIOSH Alert as one of the drugs that should be handled as a hazardous drug. Plasma progesterone levels fall markedly around the time of amenorrhea in peri-menopausal women and remain low in postmenopausal women. Progesterone levels are relatively stable in men 40-80 years of age. Progesterone is metabolized into a number of other biologically active steroids including allopregnanolone, as well as into urinary metabolite markers of progesterone status, pregnanediol and pregnanetriol. Some CNS effects of progesterone are thought to involve the modulation of GABA(A) receptor activity by the progesterone metabolite allopregnanolone. No adverse effects of occupational exposure to progesterone were located in the biomedical literature. Date Last Revised: 04/28/2006 Literature Basis: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: NIOSH Alert: Preventing Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Health Care Settings. NIOSH Publication No. 2004-165. Andréen, L., Sundstrom-Poromaa, I., Bixo, M., Andersson, A., Nyberg, S. and Bäckström, T.: Relationship between allopregnanolone and negative mood in postmenopausal women taking sequential hormone replacement therapy with vaginal progesterone. Psychoneuroendocrinology 30(2): 212-224, 2005. Bélanger, A., et al.: Changes in serum concentrations of conjugated and unconjugated steroids in 40- to 80-year-old men. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 79(4): 1086-1090, 1994. Golub, M.S., Kaufman, F.L., Campbell, M.A. Li, L.-H., et al.: Evidence on the developmental and reproductive toxicity of progesterone (draft). Reproductive and Cancer Hazard Assessment Section, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, (August) 2004, 71 pp. [386 KB, PDF] No authors listed: Progesterone (CAS No. 57-83-0). Report on Carcinogens, Eleventh Edition; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program, 2005. [198 KB, PDF] Soderpalm, A.H., Lindsey, S., Purdy, R.H., Hauger, R. and Wit de H.: Administration of progesterone produces mild sedative-like effects in men and women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 29(3): 339-354, 2004. Trévoux, R., De Brux, J., Castaner, M., Nahoul, K., Soule, J.-P. and Scholler, R.: Endometrium and plasma hormone profile in the peri-menopause and post-menopause. Maturitas 8(4): 309-326, 1986. Monitoring Methods used by OSHA Laboratory Sampling/Analytical Method: sampling media: Glass Fiber Filter (37 mm open face) in 3-piece cassette analytical solvent: Methanol maximum volume: 240 Liters   maximum flow rate: 1.0 L/min maximum time: 240 Minutes current analytical method: High Performance Liquid Chromatography; HPLC/UV at 240 nm method reference: OSHA Analytical Method (OSHA PV2001) method classification: Partially Validated All Trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Science, Technology and Medicine at 202-693-2300 for assistance accessing PDF materials.