Cultured rat ovarian granulosa cells respond to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) by synthesizing and secreting plasminogen activator. The specificity of the response for FSH prompted us to explore the use of this system as an in vitro bioassay for FSH. The release of FSH by pituitary cell cultures has been examined by this method, as have been preparations of FSH of known biological activity....

SETTING Luteinizing hormone (LH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) act on the same receptor, activating different signal transduction pathways. The role of LH or hCG addition to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) as well as menopausal gonadotropins (human menopausal gonadotropin; hMG) in controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) is debated. OBJECTIVE To compare FSH + LH, or FSH + hCG or hMG v...

BACKGROUND The study aim was to analyse the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing recombinant FSH and urinary-derived FSH gonadotrophins [hMG, urinary purified FSH (FSH-P) and highly purified FSH (FSH-HP)] in an IVF/ICSI programme. METHODS All published truly RCTs using a long protocol of GnRH agonists for down-regulation, were reviewed. Data of pregnancy rate per started c...

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and the FSH receptor contribute to tumor angiogenesis and are acknowledged risk factors for ovarian epithelial cancer (OEC). Accumulating evidence suggests that FSH can induce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) expression. We previously demonstrated that FSH induces ...

Defining the gonadal effects of FSH distinct from those of LH remains difficult. We have characterized and compared the level of Sertoli and germ cell development in three mouse models recently created to isolate FSH activity from LH effects. Two models used LH-deficient hypogonadal (hpg) mice to selectively study either pituitary-independent transgenic (tg) FSH or ligand-independent activated ...

BACKGROUND The alpha and beta subunits of FSH were fused to the Fc domain of IgG1 either in a single chain or a heterodimer format. These molecules were absorbed through the epithelium in lung and intestine by neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn)-mediated transcytosis. METHODS AND RESULTS Single chain and heterodimer FSH-Fc were made recombinantly in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Treatment of rats with...

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the organism together with LH is responsible for follicular growth and maturation of eggs. If the ovaries are not working, FSH levels rise. The most common reason for high serum FSH concentration is in a female who is undergoing or has recently undergone menopause. High levels of follicle-stimulating hormone indicate that the normal restricting feedback fro...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to assess whether, even within a normal FSH range (< or =10 mU/ml), age-specific FSH levels are predictive of ovarian reserve. METHODS Between January 1998 and December 2001, 535 women, undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation with 225 IU of recombinant (rec) FSH and 75 IU of recLH, were included in this retrospective cohort study. Criteria for enrolm...

Anovulation is a common cause of female subfertility. Treatment of anovulation is aimed at induction of ovulation. In women with clomiphene-citrate resistant WHO group II anovulation, one of the treatment options is ovulation induction with exogenous follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH or follitropin). FSH is derived from urine or is produced as recombinant FSH. Two forms of recombinant FSH are a...