In anovulatory patients ovulation is usually induced by clomiphene citrate
(CC) or gonadotropin therapy, but in the case of polycystic ovary syndrome
(PCOS), diagnosed by the presence of several micropolycysts in the ovaries
and a high LH/FSH ratio in the serum, CC is only minimally effective, and s
ide effects are often a problem with gonadotropin therapy. In the present s
tudy we administered a Chinese herbal medicine Sairei-to which appears to h
ave a steroidal effect in anovulatory PCOS patients. As a result of the tre
atment, serum LH and the LH/FSH ratio significantly decreased (P<0.01) and
the ovulatory rate was 70.6%. Serum testosterone levels were within normal
limits before the treatment, and did not significantly change during the tr
eatment. Sairei-to may therefore be useful for the treatment of anovulation
in PCOS patients.