Effects of recombinant human FSH (rhFSH), urinary purified FSH (uFSH), andhMG on small preantral follicles and tertiary follicles from normal adult and androgen-sterilized female mice

Objective: To examine the stage-specific follicular response to recombinant human FSH (rhFSH), urinary FSH (uFSH), and hMG preparations. Setting: In vitro follicle culture. Intervention(s): Small preantral and tertiary follicles isolated from adult normal BDF-I mice and androgen-sterilized mice were cultured with rhFSH, u FSH, and hMG for 4 days. Main Outcome Measure(s): Follicular diameter. Immunoreactive inhibin, E-2, and progesterone concentrations in cultured medium. Result(s): The minimal effective dose of rhFSH, uFSH, and hMG for the folli cular growth of small preantral follicles from normal mice was 10 mIU/mL, 1 mIU/mL, and 0.1 mIU/mL, respectively. For tertiary follicles from normal m ice, the minimal effective dose of rhFSH, uFSH, and hMG was 10 mIU/mL, 10 m IU/mL, and I mIU/mL, respectively. The minimal effective dose of hMG for th e follicular growth of small preantral follicles from androgen-sterilized m ice was 0.01 mIU/mL, and that of rhFSH and uFSH on tertiary follicles from androgen-sterilized mice was 1 mIU/mL and 10 mIU/mL, respectively. No signi ficant, increase was found in the follicular diameter of the tertiary folli cles from androgen-sterilized mice as a result of stimulation by hMG, but a n hMG dose of > 10 mIU/mL produced a significant increase in progesterone s ecretion. Conclusion(s): Human menopausal gonadotropin preparation acts detrimentally on follicles from androgen-sterilized mice by increasing the sensitivity o f small preantral follicles to FSH: and by inducing the luteinization of te rtiary follicles. (Fertil Steril(R) 2000;73:372-80. (C) 2000 by American So ciety for Reproductive Medicine.).