11-Hydroxyprogesterone (11-OHP)

Very large doses of progesterone cause exacerbation of diabetes in the partially depancreatized, forcefed rat. The diabetogenic potency of 11-ketoprogesterone is greater than that of progesterone. The diabetogenicity of 11β-hydroxyprogesterone is as great or greater than that of 11-ketoprogesterone and each of these compounds is much more potent than llα-hydroxyprogesterone. 11-ketoprogesterone is diabetogenic and that llα-hydroxyprogesterone is relatively inactive was in unpublished experiments. Male rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain were maintained on Archer Dog Pellets until the metabolic studies were begun. The animals were partially depancreatized at a weight of 275 to 280 gms. After diabetes was established all of the rats were placed in metabolism cages and force-fed a medium carbohydrate diet by stomach tube each morning.