Effects Of Gonadotropin Administration Research Articles

Effects of gonadotropin administration on clinical outcomes in clomiphene citrate-based minimal stimulation cycle IVF.

PurposeExogenous gonadotropins (EGn) have been used occasionally in clomiphene citrate (CC)‐based minimal stimulation cycles to compensate insufficient secretion of endogenous gonadotropin; however, the effectiveness of EGn supplementation remains unknown. In the present study, we assessed whether EGn improved pregnancy outcomes in CC‐based minimal stimulation cycles.MethodsA total of 223 patients treated with CC and EGn (CC‐EGn group) were matched one to one to patients treated with CC only (CC group) by propensity score matching. Embryonic and pregnancy outcomes were retrospectively compared between the groups.ResultsThe numbers of retrieved oocytes, fertilized oocytes, cleaved embryos, and cryopreserved blastocysts were increased in the CC‐EGn group compared with the CC group. However, the cumulative live birthrate was comparable between the two groups. Although the increased number of retrieved oocytes was correlated significantly with improvement of the cumulative live birthrate in both groups, the correlation tended to be lower in the CC‐EGn group than in the CC group (odds ratio, 1.193 vs 1.553).ConclusionsIn CC‐based minimal stimulation cycles, the stimulation should be started with CC only, and EGn administration should be scheduled only if insufficient secretion of endogenous gonadotropin is observed in the late follicular phase.

Premature Progesterone Rise Positively Correlates with Clinical Pregnancy Rate in In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) Patients with good Ovarian Response.

Infertility affects millions of couples worldwide resulting in distress and depression. In the past several decades, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) have been developed with high efficiency and success rate. The possible effects of gonadotropin administration on follicular metabolism have been discussed but the outcomes remain controversial. The aim of this study was to identify whether serum progesterone on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration and the ratio of serum progesterone and the number of oocyte retrieved (P/O) had a predictive role for the outcomes of IVF/ICSI. Eight hundred and twenty-five patients were enrolled between January 2012 and December 2012. A positive correlation between progesterone and IVF/ICSI outcomes were found in patients with good ovarian response using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. We found that when progesterone level was higher than 1.04 ng/ml in good ovarian responses, the implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate were both reduced compared to the rates in patients exhibiting lower progesterone level (progesterone≤1.04 ng/ml). Moreover, the rise of serum progesterone on the day of hCG was negatively correlated with luteinizing hormone (LH) level. This study used 1.04 ng/ml as a definition of progesterone elevation and an adverse effect of serum progesterone rise was observed on clinical pregnancy rate.

Changes in the testis seminiferous tubules and interstitium in prepubertal bull calves immunised against inhibin at the time of gonadotropin administration

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of gonadotropin administration at initiation of inhibin passive immunisation in Jersey bull calves (age 27 +/- 5 days) on testicular morphology and development. Primary treatments consisted of control (keyhole limpet haemocyanin, KLH; n = 9) or immunisation against inhibin (INH; n = 9). Subsets of calves were randomly assigned within primary treatments (TRT) to receive saline ( n = 3 per TRT), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH; n = 3 per TRT) or gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH, n = 3 per TRT). The right testis was removed (age 118 +/- 5 days) to determine volumes of testicular components and cell numbers per testis using stereology. Data were analysed using the MIXED procedure of the SAS program. Antibody titres against inhibin were increased in INH bulls compared with KLH bulls (P < 0.05). In addition, a significant immunisation x hormone treatment interaction was noted for the number of germ cells. Administration of FSH at the time of initial immunisation against inhibin significantly increased the number of germ cells (92.2 +/- 9 x 10(6) cells) compared with INH+saline bulls (54.9 +/- 10 x 10(6) cells), with INH+GnRH bulls having an intermediate number of cells (64.5 +/- 9 x 10(6) cells; P < 0.05). These results suggest that gonadotropin administration at the time of inhibin immunisation increases the number of germ cells in the testis.

Hormonal and photoperiodic modulation of testicular mRNAs coding for inhibin/activin subunits and follistatin in Clethrionomys glareolus, Schreber.

Photoperiodic and hormonal modulation of mRNAs for testicular inhibin/activin subunits and follistatin were studied in a seasonally breeding rodent, the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus). Photoperiod-induced testicular regression had no effect on the relatively low steady-state levels of follistatin mRNA. Inhibin alpha (I alpha) and beta B (I beta B) mRNA levels were significantly higher in regressed than in active gonads, but inhibin beta A was undetectable. The effect of gonadotropin administration on testicular weight and mRNA concentrations differed between the sexually active and quiescent voles. Neither FSH (1.2 U/kg; s.c. for 5 days) nor hCG (600 IU/kg; s.c. for 5 days) affected testicular weight in sexually active voles, whereas both gonadotropins significantly increased testicular weight in photo-regressed individuals. FSH had no effect on I alpha or I beta B mRNA concentrations in the active testes, whereas excessive hCG challenge induced a decrease in the steady-state levels of these mRNAs. FSH induced an increase in I alpha mRNA concentrations in the regressed gonad, whereas both gonadotropins concomitantly down-regulated I beta B mRNA levels. In conclusion, the high expression of I alpha and I beta B mRNA in the regressed testis imply autocrine and paracrine roles for inhibin/activin in the quiescent gonad of seasonal breeders. Inhibin alpha-subunit expression is at least partly under the control of FSH in the bank vole testis.

Effects of gonadotropin administration on follicular growth and in vitro fertilization in female hypogonadal mice.

Folliculogenesis in female hypogonadal (hpg) mice was examined after treatment with exogenous gonadotropins. The female mutant mice were characterized by a deficiency of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), leading to the absence of estrus and ovulation. Gonadotropin administration induced resumption of gonadal development and vaginal opening. The follicles that developed with gonadotropin treatment were very similar to those in normal littermates. The oocytes from hpg mice showed the capacity for fertilization and development to produce viable young after in vitro fertilization and embryo transplantation. Thus, the combination of the exogenous gonadotropin administration, in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer method appear to be helpful to breed mutant hpg mice efficiently.

Effect of gonadotropin administration on estrus synchronization and ovulation rate following induced abortion in swine

The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) alone or in combination with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on synchronization of estrus and the ovulation rate following prostaglandin F 2α-induced abortion. Twenty-seven pregnant gilts were aborted between Days 20 and 40 of gestation by the administration of PGF 2α (10 mg/injection) at 0700 and 1600 h. Control gilts (C; n = 9) received an injection of physiological saline (2 ml) immediately following the second injection of PGF 2α, while PMSG1 (n = 11) and PMSG2 (n = 7) gilts received an injection of PMSG (1250 IU) from lots #1 and #2, respectively. Gilts which failed to exhibit estrus within 80 h following PMSG were given 500 IU hCG (PMSG1+hCG: n = 5; PMSG2+hCG: n = 4). Gilts were bred at 12 and 24 h after the onset of estrus (Day 0) by natural or artificial insemination. Embryos were recovered between Days 1 and 6 of gestation. Because the source of PMSG had no effect on the interval from PGF 2α to estrus, PMSG1 and PMSG2 gilts were pooled into two groups: PMSG (n = 9) and PMSG+hCG (n = 9). Mean interval from PGF 2α to estrus and its variance were greater for C than PMSG and PMSG+hCG gilts. Mean ovulation rate was greater for PMSG2 as compared with PMSG1 and C gilts (26.0 ± 2.0 vs 15.6 ± 1.6 and 13.2 ± 1.8, respectively). The embryo recovery rate was lower for PMSG2 than for PMSG1 and C gilts. These results indicate that administration of PMSG alone or in conjunction with hCG increases synchronization of estrus following induced abortion. Finally, the ovulatory response to a commercial preparation of PMSG may vary greatly between lots.

Effects of gonadotropin administration and transplantation of the pituitary gland on incidence of implantation in immature rats.

生後30~33日齢の未成熟ラットに,種々の量のPMSG又はPMSGとhCGを投与して,着床に及ぼす影響を比較検討すると共に,下垂体移植による着床についても調べた。1)種々の量のGTHを投与した未成熟ラットの交配率は88.7%であった。2)PMSG•hCG 5~101U投与の妊娠率(80~90%)はPMSG 5~101U投与の場合(73.3~76.7%)に比較してやや高いが,有意な差ではなかった。20及び401U投与においても同様の傾向であり,かつ5~101U投与に比較して有意(p<0.05~0.001)に低下した。3)PMSG及びPMSG•hCG 5~101U投与の妊娠(交配)ラット当りの着床数は,12.6~14.2(9.7~10.4)及び11.6~15.1(9.2~12.7)個であり,両群間及び投与量間に有意な差はなかった。しかしながら,PMSG 201UとPMSG•hCG 201U投与の間には有意な差(p<0.05)が見られた。4)PMSG単一及びPMSG•hCG併用投与の場合共に, PMSG投与量の増加に伴って,妊娠率及び着床数が有意(p<0.05~0.001)に低下した。5)下垂体移植により,高い妊娠率(80~90%)と着床数(妊娠ラット当り19.3~20.4個)が得られた。以上の結果から,GTH投与量の増加に伴って,妊娠率と着床数が低下することを知ると共に,その主な原因として卵子下降の促進による胚の子宮内からの消失が推測された。しかしながら,その詳細については今後の検討を要する。