孕酮主要由黄体产生，故又叫黄体酮。孕酮通常要在孕酮作用的基础上才能发挥其作用。孕酮的主要作用，是促进子宫内膜特别是腺体的增长，为接纳受精卵做好准备，如受精卵着床后，使胚胎继续发育。对子宫内膜癌及增生过度的内膜腺体，孕酮则能使之萎缩退化。此外还能抑制子宫收缩，并减弱子宫对催产素的敏感性，使子宫活动减少，而起保胎作用。同时还与孕酮一起使乳腺发育，为产乳作好准备。
本试剂盒应用双抗体夹心酶标免疫分析法测定标本中孕酮水平。用纯化的抗体包被微孔板，制成固相抗体，往包被单抗的微孔中依次加入孕酮抗原、生物素化的抗小鼠孕酮抗体、HRP标记的亲和素，经过彻底洗涤后用底物TMB显色。TMB在过氧化物酶的催化下转化成蓝色，并在酸的作用下转化成最终的黄色。颜色的深浅和样品中的孕酮呈正相关。用酶标仪在450nm波长下测定吸光度（OD值），计算样品浓度。
Intended use
This immunoassay kit allows for the specific measurement of mouse progesterone concentrations in serum, and plasma.
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. .
Test principle
This assay employs the quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique. A monoclonal antibody specific for progesterone has been pre-coated onto a microplate. Standards and samples are pipetted into the wells and any progesterone present is bound by the immobilized antibody. An enzyme-linked monoclonal antibody specific for progesterone is added to the wells. Following a wash to remove any unbound antibody-enzyme reagent, a substrate solution is added to the wells and color develops in proportion to the amount of progesterone bound in the initial step. The color development is stopped and the intensity of the color is measured.
