Allopregnanolone, (3alpha-hydroxy-20-oxo-5alphapregnan-11alpha-yl-carboxymethylether), also known as 3alpha,5alpha-tetrahydroprogesterone or THP, a neuroactive steroid secreted by the mammalian ovary, exerts its anesthetic, anxiolytic, and sedative/hypnotic effects through potentiation of GABA A receptors. It is produced in the human corpus luteum and their release is stimulated by trophic hormone.
