Bioavailability of hCG after intramuscular or subcutaneous injection in obese and non-obese women.
BACKGROUND
Obese women require higher gonadotrophin doses for ovarian stimulation and to trigger ovulation. The bioavailability of a drug is affected by its route of administration. Herein, the bioavailability of hCG was compared after intramuscular (i.m.) or subcutaneous (s.c.) injection in obese and non-obese women.


METHODS
Twenty four Chinese women, 12 with a body mass index (BMI) >/==" BORDER="0">28 kg/m(2) and 12 with a BMI of 20-25 kg/m(2) were recruited as the obese and non-obese groups respectively. A single hCG injection was given intramuscularly on one occasion, and subcutaneously on a second occasion, separated by 4 weeks. Blood samples were taken at intervals for the pharmacokinetic study of hCG.


RESULTS
Examination of the hCG plasma concentration-time curve showed the area under the curve (AUC) and maximum concentration (C(max)) of hCG to be significantly higher after i.m. injection than after s.c. injection in both the obese and non-obese groups. However, the AUC and C(max) values in obese women were significantly lower than in non-obese women, irrespective of whether i.m. or s.c. dosing was employed.


CONCLUSIONS
Intramuscular dosing of hCG provided better bioavailability than s.c. dosing, but bioavailability was significantly less in obese women than in non-obese women.
Chan
Carina C W
CC
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, SAR, China. cwcchan@graduate.hku.hk
Ng
Ernest H Y
EH
Chan
Maureen M Y
MM
Tang
Oi Shan
OS
Lau
Estella Y L
EY
Yeung
William S B
WS
Ho
Pak-Chung
PC
D000328:Adult; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001682:Biological Availability; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin