Inhibin A and inhibin B responses to gonadotropin withdrawal depends on stage of follicle development.
Previous studies demonstrate that inhibin A and B are differentially secreted across the menstrual cycle. To test the hypothesis that the responses of inhibin A and inhibin B to partial gonadotropin withdrawal are influenced by the stage of follicular development, a maximally suppressive dose of the Nal-Glu GnRH antagonist (150 microg/kg) was administered to normal cycling women during the midfollicular (MFP; n = 8), late follicular (LFP; n = 6), and midluteal phase (MLP; n = 5) to assess ovarian responsiveness over a broad range of developmental stages. Administration of the GnRH antagonist resulted in a significant decrease in LH (75 +/- 5%, 63 +/- 3%, and 84 +/- 7%; P < 0.05) and FSH (23 +/- 9%, 32 +/- 5%, and 39 +/- 6%; P < 0.04) during the MFP, LFP, and MLP, respectively. During the MFP, partial withdrawal of gonadotropins resulted in disappearance of the dominant follicle on ultrasound accompanied by a decrease in estradiol (E2; 64.9 +/- 11.4 to 23.9 +/- 3.3 pg/mL; P < 0.02) and inhibin B levels (121.6 +/- 14.8 to 28.4 +/- 4.8 pg/mL; P < 0.002) from baseline to near the limit of detection. Inhibin A was near the limit of detection in this cycle stage (0.8 +/- 0.1 IU/mL). When gonadotropins were withdrawn during the LFP, the size of the dominant follicle remained stationary in four of five subjects, and inhibin B (84.1 +/- 14.1 to 22.2 +/- 3.4 pg/mL; 71 +/- 5%; P < 0.02), inhibin A (4.4 +/- 1.1 to 1.3 +/- 0.5 IU/mL; 71 +/- 7%; P < 0.02), and E2 (236.8 +/- 48.2 to 95.6 +/- 39.0 pg/mL; 61 +/- 12%; P < 0.02) decreased similarly. Time to ovulation was shorter in association with higher inhibin A (r = -0.67; P < 0.02) and E2 (r = -0.79; P < 0.003), but there was no relation to inhibin B. During the MLP, decreased gonadotropin levels resulted in the disappearance of corpus luteum function with a significant decrease in inhibin A (9.0 +/- 0.4 to 0.7 +/- 0.1 IU/mL; 92 +/- 1%; P < 0.0001) in combination with decreased E2 (150.4 +/- 22.9 to 23.8 +/- 4.2 pg/mL; 83 +/- 3%; P < 0.005) and progesterone (12.6 +/- 2.6 to 0.9 +/- 0.2 ng/mL; 92 +/- 2%; P < 0.01). Administration of a GnRH antagonist at precise stages of the menstrual cycle provides further evidence that differential regulation of inhibin A and inhibin B is critically dependent on the stage of follicular development. Inhibin B secretion is exquisitely sensitive to gonadotropin withdrawal during the MFP when inhibin A has not yet risen. Inhibin A and inhibin B decrease equally after GnRH antagonist administration during the LFP. However, before antagonist administration, the positive correlation between estradiol and inhibin A and time to ovulation and the lack of such a correlation with inhibin B suggest that the source of inhibin B secretion is different from that of inhibin A and E2. The decrease in inhibin A secretion after antagonist administration during the luteal phase confirms gonadotropin-dependent secretion of dimeric inhibin A by the corpus luteum.
Welt
C K
CK
Reproductive Endocrine Sciences Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA.
Adams
J M
JM
Sluss
P M
PM
Hall
J E
JE
D000328:Adult; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006062:Gonadotropins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D006727:Hormone Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010060:Ovulation / Q000187:drug effects
D006062:Gonadotropins; D006727:Hormone Antagonists; C057805:LHRH, N-Ac-2-Nal(1)-4-Cl-Phe(2)-3-Pal(3)-Arg(5)-Glu(6)-AlaNH2(10)-; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D004958:Estradiol; D007265:Inhibins; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone