[The role of progesterone and progestins in hydroelectrolytic metabolism (author's transl)].

The role of progesterone and progestins in hydroelectrolytic metabolism have been compared. The mechanism of progesterone natriuretic action was discussed from clinical and biological data and from the recent data of the competitive action of progesterone for the mineralocorticoid receptor. However the lack of potassium retention cannot be completely explained by the balance of two characteristics of progesterone: the first being the catabolic action leading to a liberation of tissular potassium and the second, the anti-mineralocorticoid action. On the other hand synthetic progestins either derived from 17 hydroxyprogesterone of from nortestosterone exhibit a sodium retention action. Moreover some of these molecules exert an estrogenic effect leading to increase in angiotensinogene and renin activity. This effect has to be kept in mind as far as blood pressure variation is concerned. Thus, it is of great importance to find new progestins able to reproduce the natriuretic action of natural progesterone.