Progesterone reduces brain mitochondrial dysfunction after transient focal ischemia in male and female mice

This study investigated the effect of intranasal administration of progesterone on the early brain mitochondrial respiratory chain dysfunction and oxidative damage after transient middle cerebral occlusion in male and female mice. We showed that progesterone (8 mg/kg at 1 h post-middle cerebral occlusion) restored the mitochondrial reduced glutathione pool and the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-linked respiration in both sexes. Progesterone also reversed the decrease of the flavin adenine dinucleotide-linked respiration, which was only observed in females. Our findings point to a sex difference in stroke effects on the brain respiratory chain and suggest that the actions of progesterone on mitochondrial function may participate in its neuroprotective properties.