%0 Journal Article
%T Clinical Effects of a Natural Extract of Urinary Human Menopausal Gonadotrophin in Normogonadotropic Infertile Patients
%A Rui Hua
%A Lan Ma
%A Hong Li
%J International Journal of Reproductive Medicine
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/135258
%X Purified human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) is a natural product extracted from the urine of postmenopausal women that contains pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and a small amount of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). Here we retrospectively conducted a clinical pharmaceutical study on a cohort of normogonadotropic infertile patients addressed to long GnRH-agonist protocol with serum LH concentration ranging from 0.5£żIU/L to 1.5£żIU/L during the midfollicle phase, aiming at evaluating the effects of purified HMG supplementation during ovarian stimulation. There was no significant difference in either the basic clinical features of the patients or the pregnancy rate (71.4% versus 66.3%, ) or other related indicators of pregnancy outcome. However, there was a higher level of serum oestradiol (E2) on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) ( £żIU/L versus £żIU/L, ) but lower fertilization rate (89.1% versus 69.6%, ) in patients getting HMG supplementation and a higher risk of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). We suppose that exogenous LH supplementation is not needed when serum LH concentration of the midfollicle phase is around 0.5¨C1.5£żIU/L during the long GnRH-agonist protocol. Adding exogenous HMG may decrease the fertilization rate and increase the risk of developing OHSS. 1. Introduction Gonadotropins (or glycoprotein hormones) are protein hormones secreted by gonadotrope cells from the anterior pituitary of vertebrates, including the mammalian hormones FSH and LH. These hormones are central to the complex endocrine system that regulates sexual development and reproductive function. LH and FSH are heterodimers consisting of two peptide chains, an alpha chain and a beta chain, and they share nearly identical alpha chains (about 100 amino acids long), whereas the beta chain provides specificity for receptor interactions. Purified human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG, Urofollitropin for Injection-Livzon Pharmaceutical Factory) is an active substance for the treatment of fertility disturbances which is widely used in assisted reproductive technology. It is a product extracted through a sterile preparation of placental glucoprotein from the urine of postmenopausal women and is purified by proprietary chromatography. The purity is greater than 98% as determined by RP-HPLC, anion-exchange FPLC, and reducing and nonreducing SDS-PAGE silver stained gel. Every 75£żIU of HMG contains activities of 75£żIU of FSH, 75£żIU of LH, and a small amount of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). The protein
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijrmed/2013/135258/