Pregnancy success and embryo survival are low with the use of assisted reproduction in felids treated with exogenous gonadotropins. In this study, the pharmacokinetics and ovarian-stimulatory effects of eCG and hCG were evaluated in the domestic cat. Catheterized anestrual queens (n = 4 per treatment [Trt] group) were given 100 IU eCG i.v. (Trt 1), 100 IU eCG i.m. (Trt 2), 75 IU hCG i.v. (Trt 3...

Objective. To test if serum hCG levels the morning after the ovulatory hCG injection correlate with (1) retrieval efficiency, (2) oocyte maturity, (3) embryo quality, (4) pregnancy, and/or (5) time to implantation in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Design. Retrospective cohort analysis. Setting. University-based IVF clinic. Patient(...

Normal pregnancy is characterized by an early expansion of regulatory T cells (Tregs), which is known to contribute to fetal tolerance. However, mechanisms and factors behind Treg expansion are not yet defined. Recently, we proposed that the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) efficiently attracts human Tregs to trophoblasts, favoring their accumulation locally. In this study, ...

BACKGROUND Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a disorder associated with elevated serum VEGFA following chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) exposure in controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) cycles in women. In this study, we tested the effect of intravenous VEGFA neutralization on OHSS-like symptoms and vascular function in rhesus macaques during COS cycles. METHODS Monkeys (n = 8) were trea...

RESULTS: Differences in calibration of current hCG assays are moderate. Mean recovery of the current International Standard (IS), hCG IS 75/589, was 107% (range 93% to 126%), whereas that of the IRR 99/688 for hCG was 139% (range 109%–164%). Betweenmethod variation for the latter (CV 12.3%) was also greater than for IS 75/589 (CV 8.8%). Recognition of hCG varied markedly (CV 37%). Most assays l...

Under physiological conditions, prostaglandin G/H synthase-2 (PGHS-2) is induced in bovine preovulatory follicles by the endogenous surge of gonadotropins. To characterize the pattern of follicular PGHS-2 expression during superovulation in cattle, heifers were treated with exogenous FSH and ovulation was induced with hCG. Animals were ovariectomized 0, 18, and 24 h post-hCG, and extracts of fo...

BACKGROUND The 1st WHO International Reference Reagents (IRRs) for 6 human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-related molecular variants, highly purified and calibrated in substance concentrations by the IFCC Working Group for hCG, permit experimental elucidation of what commercially available hCG methods measure in molar terms and enable assessment of their fitness for clinical purposes. METHODS P...

STUDY QUESTION Do number of cells in the transferred cleavage stage embryo and number of oocytes retrieved for IVF influence maternal hCG concentrations in early pregnancies? SUMMARY ANSWER Compared with transfer of a 2-cell embryo, transfer of a 4-cell embryo results in higher hCG concentrations on Day 12 after transfer, and more than 20 oocytes retrieved were associated with low hCG concent...

Since Simeons (1, 2) introduced his method of treating obesity using human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), there has been continuing controversy concerning the effect of HCG on the program. Simeons and his followers have generally not claimed that patients eating 500 kcal daily will lose more weight when receiving HCG. They (2-4) have claimed that patients are less hungry and feel better because...

We study the polarizations of gravitational waves (GWs) in two classes extended gravity theories. As a preparatory yet complete study, we formulate linear massive (MG) with generic mass terms non-Fierz--Pauli type by identifying all independent variables that obey Klein--Gordon-type equations. The dynamical degrees freedom (dofs) MG consist spin-2 and spin-0 modes, former breaking down into ten...