Autophagy activation and neuroprotection by progesterone in the G93A-SOD1 transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Progesterone (PG) exerts neuroprotective effects under conditions such as brain ischemia, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury. Previously, we reported that PG activates autophagy, a potential neuroprotective mechanism, in cortical astrocytes. In the present study, we explored the possibility that PG, by activating autophagy in spinal cord cells, protects against motoneuron degeneration in transgenic (Tg) mice expressing the human G93A-SOD1 (superoxide dismutase 1) mutant, a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.