BACKGROUND Elevated early follicular phase (EFP) FSH is frequently observed in subfertile patients. In these women, temporary normalization of FSH concentrations is known to occur. We studied the complete endocrine cycle profile of subfertile young women with elevated basal FSH compared with controls. METHODS Daily bloodsampling and ultrasound monitoring in the follicular phase was performed in...

Although ovarian follicle growth is under the influence of many growth factors and hormones of which FSH remains one of the most prominent regulators. Therefore, factors affecting the sensitivity of ovarian follicles to FSH are also important for follicle growth. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has an inhibitory effect on follicle growth by d...

We have examined the potential of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) therapy for the male to improve pregnancy rates in intrauterine insemination (IUI) with husband's spermatozoa. A prospective randomized trial was performed in 148 couples undergoing IUI because of male subfertility. In the treatment group, 150 IU FSH were administered to the husbands, either i.m. or s.c., three times a week, s...

BACKGROUND We have previously shown that suspension culture prevents follicle flattening and maintains three-dimensional follicle architecture better than culture on flat plates. However, many of the follicles cultured in suspension do eventually rupture, as basement membrane integrity is lost and the three-dimensional structure of the follicle is altered. Therefore, the objective of this study...

OBJECTIVE To describe FSH profile variants. DESIGN Observational study. SETTING Multicenter collaborative study. PATIENT(S) A total of 107 women. INTERVENTION(S) Women collected daily first morning urine and underwent serial ovarian ultrasound. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) FSH RESULT(S) The individual FSH cyclic profiles demonstrated a significant departure from the currently accepted mode...

BACKGROUND We investigated at what stage early cultured preantral mouse follicles become dependent on a minimal effective FSH dose (10 mIU/ml) and analysed the influence of implementing FSH at several time-points during in vitro culture. METHODS Two-layered mouse follicles were cultured for 12 days under seven different FSH exposure regimens and ovulated on day 13 by hCG/EGF. Ovulated cumulus...

BACKGROUND This is the first report of human exposure to the novel compound follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)-C-terminal peptide (CTP) 'FSH-CTP' (Org 36286), a long-acting recombinant FSH like substance, consisting of the alpha-subunit of human FSH and a hybrid beta-subunit. The latter is composed of the beta-subunit of human FSH and the C-terminus part (CTP) of the beta-subunit of human chori...