Piero Donini, a scientist working in the late 1940s for the Italian pharmaceutical company that would later be known as Serono, was the first to extract and purify FSH and LH, the hormones that stimulate ovulation. The hormones are found in women’s urine, which is why pregnancy tests can be conducted on urine samples. After experimenting with urine from pregnant women, Donini discovered the highest levels of the hormone actually were in post-menopausal women. After menopause, when ovaries stop producing eggs, FHS and LS shoot up as the body tries to stimulate their production.
Tag: fsh
Researchers Identify Gene Variations Linked to Male and Female Infertility
Identification of genetic variations in the genes coding for the hormone FSH may provide new treatments for male and female infertility, according to work presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Copenhagen. A group of researchers at the University of Muenster has characterised gene variations which may improve treatment for almost half of infertile men, as well as allowing tailored treatment for women undergoing assisted reproduction.
What is Minimal Stimulation IVF?
Minimal Stimulation IVF differs from traditional IVF in the type and amount of fertility medications used to stimulate the growth of egg follicles.
Traditional IVF uses injections of the hormone FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) to stimulate the growth of multiple eggs which are then harvested from the ovary and fertilized in the laboratory (in-vitro fertilization) before being transferred to the uterus as embryos.
With Mini Stim IVF, a tablet form of fertility medication called clomiphene citrate is taken for 5 days to increase the natural production of FSH in order to recruit multiple egg follicles. Hormonal injections may be used for a few days but at much lower doses than used in traditional IVF.
Although fewer eggs are recruited with Mini Stim IVF, the ones that do grow are believed to be highest in quality. Other benefits include less injections, shorter treatment times and lower cost. Mini Stim IVF is a good alternative for women who respond poorly to traditional hormonal stimulation or have failed traditional IVF.
Can You be a Poor Responder and Get Pregnant on Your Own?
by Fred Licciardi, M.D.
So a little story about a couple I saw recently. She was a poor responder with borderline FSH levels, normal tubes and a favorable age. He had low sperm counts. They had been through IVF. I suggested that he see a …