Source Paper
Progesterone in experimental permanent stroke: a dose-response and therapeutic time-window study
Bushra Wali, Tauheed Ishrat, Soonmi Won, Donald G. Stein, Iqbal Sayeed
Brain • 2013
Source Paper
Bushra Wali, Tauheed Ishrat, Soonmi Won, Donald G. Stein, Iqbal Sayeed
Brain • 2013
Currently, the only approved treatment for ischaemic stroke is tissue plasminogen activator, a clot-buster. This treatment can have dangerous consequences if not given within the first 4 h after stroke. Our group and others have shown progesterone to be beneficial in preclinical studies of stroke, but a progesterone dose-response and time-window study is lacking. We tested male Sprague-Dawley rats (12 months old) with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion or sham operations on multiple measures of sensory, motor and cognitive performance. For the dose-response study, animals received intraperitoneal injections of progesterone (8, 16 or 32 mg/kg) at 1 h post-occlusion, and subcutaneous injections at 6 h and then once every 24 h for 7 days. For the time-window study, the optimal dose of progesterone was given starting at 3, 6 or 24 h post-stroke. Behavioural recovery was evaluated at repeated intervals. Rats were killed at 22 days post-stroke and brains extracted for evaluation of infarct volume. Both 8 and 16 mg/kg doses of progesterone produced attenuation of infarct volume compared with the placebo, and improved functional outcomes up to 3 weeks after stroke on locomotor activity, grip strength, sensory neglect, gait impairment, motor coordination and spatial navigation tests. In the time-window study, the progesterone group exhibited substantial neuroprotection as late as 6 h after stroke onset. Compared with placebo, progesterone showed a significant reduction in infarct size with 3- and 6-h delays. Moderate doses (8 and 16 mg/kg) of progesterone reduced infarct size and improved functional deficits in our clinically relevant model of stroke. The 8 mg/kg dose was optimal in improving motor, sensory and memory function, and this effect was observed over a large therapeutic time window. Progesterone shows promise as a potential therapeutic agent and should be examined for safety and efficacy in a clinical trial for ischaemic stroke.
Objective: Evaluation of gait impairment as a measure of motor dysfunction after experimental permanent stroke, and assessment of progesterone's neuroprotective effects on functional recovery
This is a Gait Impairment Assessment protocol using rat as the model organism. The procedure involves 8 procedural steps, 6 equipment items, 2 materials. Extracted from a 2013 paper published in Brain.
Model and subjects
rat • Sprague-Dawley • male • 12 months old
Study window
~3.1 week study window | ~110 hours hands-on
Core workflow
Surgical procedure - Middle cerebral artery occlusion or sham operation • Dose-response study - Initial progesterone administration • Dose-response study - Subcutaneous injections at 6 hours
Primary readouts
Key equipment and reagents
Verified items
0
Direct vendor links
0
Use this page as an execution guide, then fall back to the source paper whenever you need exact exclusions, dosing details, or assay-specific caveats.
Confirm first
Use the page like this
Start here. The step list is optimized for running the experiment, with direct vendor links available inline when you need to source a cited item.
Male Sprague-Dawley rats (12 months old) underwent either permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion or sham operations
Note: This creates the stroke model for testing
“We tested male Sprague-Dawley rats (12 months old) with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion or sham operations”
Animals received intraperitoneal injections of progesterone at 1 hour post-occlusion
Note: Three dose levels tested: 8, 16, or 32 mg/kg
“animals received intraperitoneal injections of progesterone (8, 16 or 32 mg/kg) at 1 h post-occlusion”
Subcutaneous injections of progesterone administered at 6 hours post-occlusion
Note: Same dose levels as initial injection
“subcutaneous injections at 6 h and then once every 24 h for 7 days”
Subcutaneous injections administered once every 24 hours for 7 days following the 6-hour injection
Note: Maintains progesterone dosing throughout recovery period
“subcutaneous injections at 6 h and then once every 24 h for 7 days”
For the time-window study, the optimal dose of progesterone was given starting at 3, 6 or 24 hours post-stroke
Note: Tests the therapeutic window for progesterone administration
“For the time-window study, the optimal dose of progesterone was given starting at 3, 6 or 24 h post-stroke”
Gait impairment testing performed as part of motor dysfunction evaluation
Note: Conducted at repeated intervals during recovery period
“Behavioural recovery was evaluated at repeated intervals. Rats were killed at 22 days post-stroke”
Multiple behavioral tests conducted including locomotor activity, grip strength, sensory neglect, motor coordination, and spatial navigation
Note: Comprehensive functional assessment battery
“improved functional outcomes up to 3 weeks after stroke on locomotor activity, grip strength, sensory neglect, gait impairment, motor coordination and spatial navigation tests”
Rats were killed at 22 days post-stroke and brains extracted for evaluation of infarct volume
Note: Terminal procedure for histological assessment
“Rats were killed at 22 days post-stroke and brains extracted for evaluation of infarct volume”
This section explains what the experiment is doing, which readouts matter, what the data artifacts usually look like, and how the analysis should flow from raw capture to reported result.
Evaluation of gait impairment as a measure of motor dysfunction after experimental permanent stroke, and assessment of progesterone's neuroprotective effects on functional recovery
Objective
Evaluation of gait impairment as a measure of motor dysfunction after experimental permanent stroke, and assessment of progesterone's neuroprotective effects on functional recovery
Subjects
From paperrat • Sprague-Dawley • male • 12 months old
Cohort notes
From paperUnderwent permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion or sham operations
Surgical procedure - Middle cerebral artery occlusion or sham operation
Dose-response study - Initial progesterone administration (1 hour post-occlusion)
Dose-response study - Subcutaneous injections at 6 hours (6 hours post-occlusion)
Dose-response study - Repeated daily injections (7 days, once every 24 hours)
Gait impairment
From paperNot explicitly described in the provided methods text
Artifact type
Longitudinal gait metrics and per-animal performance tables
Comparison focus
Compare recovery trajectory across post-injury timepoints and treatment conditions
Infarct volume
From paperNot explicitly described in the provided methods text
Artifact type
Longitudinal gait metrics and per-animal performance tables
Comparison focus
Compare recovery trajectory across post-injury timepoints and treatment conditions
Locomotor activity
From paperNot explicitly described in the provided methods text
Artifact type
Longitudinal gait metrics and per-animal performance tables
Comparison focus
Compare recovery trajectory across post-injury timepoints and treatment conditions
Grip strength
From paperNot explicitly described in the provided methods text
Artifact type
Longitudinal gait metrics and per-animal performance tables
Comparison focus
Compare recovery trajectory across post-injury timepoints and treatment conditions
Gait impairment
From paperRaw artifact
Per-run gait capture with paw placement, timing, and stride features for each animal
Processed artifact
Cleaned gait metrics table and recovery trend summary across timepoints
Final reported form
Group comparisons of gait indices, stride metrics, or recovery curves
Infarct volume
From paperRaw artifact
Per-run gait capture with paw placement, timing, and stride features for each animal
Processed artifact
Cleaned gait metrics table and recovery trend summary across timepoints
Final reported form
Group comparisons of gait indices, stride metrics, or recovery curves
Locomotor activity
From paperRaw artifact
Per-run gait capture with paw placement, timing, and stride features for each animal
Processed artifact
Cleaned gait metrics table and recovery trend summary across timepoints
Final reported form
Group comparisons of gait indices, stride metrics, or recovery curves
Grip strength
From paperRaw artifact
Per-run gait capture with paw placement, timing, and stride features for each animal
Processed artifact
Cleaned gait metrics table and recovery trend summary across timepoints
Final reported form
Group comparisons of gait indices, stride metrics, or recovery curves
Acquisition
Capture run-level gait data for each animal and preserve the timepoint or treatment labeling.
Preprocessing / cleaning
Not explicitly described in the provided methods text
Scoring or quantification
Quantify the primary readouts for this experiment: Gait impairment; Infarct volume; Locomotor activity; Grip strength.
Statistical comparison
Statistical method not yet structured for this page.
Reporting output
Report representative outputs alongside summary comparisons for Gait impairment, Infarct volume, Locomotor activity, Grip strength.
Source links and direct wording from the methods section for validation and deeper review.
Citation
Bushra Wali et al. (2013). Progesterone in experimental permanent stroke: a dose-response and therapeutic time-window study. Brain
“”
“”
“”
“”
Direct vendor pages are linked from the protocol above. This section stays focused on the full comparison view and the prep checklist.
Gather these items before starting the experiment. Check off items as you prepare.
2 items with ReplicateScience direct pages
Estimated: $7,895.00
Use this section as the page quality checkpoint. It keeps section navigation, evidence access, readiness, and verification meaning in one place.
Current status surfaces were computed from experiment data updated Feb 28, 2026.
Source access
Jump back into the original paper or the methods evidence section when you need exact wording, exclusions, or method-specific caveats.
This protocol has structured steps plus evidence quotes, and is ready for canonical sync.
Steps
8
Evidence Quotes
16
Protocol Items
8
Linked Products
2
Canonical Sync
Pending
What this means
The completeness score reflects how much structured protocol data is present: steps, methods evidence, listed materials, linked products, and paper provenance.
Computed from the current experiment record updated Feb 28, 2026.
Canonical Sync shows whether a ConductGraph-backed protocol is available for this experiment route right now. It is a sync-status signal, not a claim that every downstream vendor link or step detail is perfect.
Steps
8
Evidence
16
Specific Products
2/2
Canonical Sync
Pending
What this score means
The verification score reflects evidence coverage, subject detail, paper provenance, step depth, and whether linked products resolve to specific item pages instead of generic searches.
Computed from the current experiment record updated Feb 28, 2026.
A page can have structured steps and still need review when evidence is thin, product links are generic, or canonical protocol coverage is still pending.