Description
Introduction: Progesterone is a steroid hormone which plays an important role in the preparation for and maintenance of pregnancy. It is synthesized from cholesterol via pregnenolone, then rapidly metabolized to pregnanediol, for the most part, in the liver. The ovary and placenta are the major production sites; but a small amount is also synthesized by the adrenal cortex in both men and women. Circulating progesterone levels, which are characteristically low during the follicular phase, increase sharply during the luteal phase of menstrual cycles, reaching a maximum some 5 to 10 days after the midcycle LH peak. Unless pregnancy occurs, a steep decline to follicular levels sets in about 4 days before the next menstrual period.
Principle of the Assay: The microtiter plate provided in this kit has been pre-coated with a goat-anti-rabbit antibody. Standards or samples are then added to the appropriate microtiter plate wells with a Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated PROG and anti-PROG antibody and incubated. Then substrate solution A and B are added to each well. The enzyme-substrate reaction is terminated by the addition of a sulphuric acid solution and the color change is measured spectrophotometrically at a wavelength of 450 nm +/- 2 nm. The concentration of PROG in the samples is then determined by comparing the O.D. of the samples to the standard curve