Pituitary and ovarian response to acute stimulation with LH-RH in normal and anovulatory women.
The LH FSH estradiol and progesterone responses to acute stimulation with LH-RH were studied in 12 normal women with ovulatory cycles (4 in the initial follicular phase, 4 in the mid-follicular phase and 4 in the late follicular phase) and in two castrated women, two under hormonal contraception, two with ovarian amenorrhea, twelve with central amenorrhea of no detectable origin (6 with normal and 6 with low basal gonadotrophins), eleven anovulatory patients with pseudomenstruation, two with anorexia nervosa, and two with pituitary amenorrhea. Each woman received a rapid i.v. injection of 100 microgram synthetic LH-RH at 9:00 a.m. Serum levels of LH, FSH, estradiol and progesterone were determined by radioimmunoassay in samples collected before and 60, 120, 240 and 480 minutes after injection. The findings were : 1) A significant rise in estradiol and progesterone levels, in addition to LH and FSH elevation, in normal women; 2) A lack of ovarian steroid response in the castrated women and in ovarian amenorrheas, which suggests that the source of steroid response to stimulation is not extragonadal; 3) Significant differences in the responses of the four hormones to LH-RH in the women with central amenorrhea in comparison with the normal group with great variability of results; the steroid response in the presence of a positive LH response might correlate with the severity and/or prognosis of the disorder, a point deserving further study; 4) In anovulatory women with pseudomenstruation, LH responses for the most part normal, and particularly, progesterone responses.
D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000503:physiopathology; D000858:Anovulation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002369:Castration; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D010053:Ovary / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010060:Ovulation / Q000187:drug effects; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone