Progesterone production by human ovarian tissues in response to deglycosylated human chorionic gonadotrophin

Abstract

Removal of carbohydrate residues from human chorionic gonadotrophin is known to reduce its biological activity in the ovaries of monkeys, pigs and rats although its binding properties appear unaffected. The present study demonstrates that such modified hCG derivatives also appear to have impaired biological activity in human ovaries in that they do not significantly stimulate progesterone secretion by follicular granulosa cells in culture or corpus luteum slices during superfusion. The derivatives also appear to reduce the normal stimulatory action of hCG when incubated with it.