The LH and FSH responses to synthetic LH-RH and the prolactin response to synthetic T-RH were evaluated during different phases of the mentrual cycle in order to understand secretory capacity of the pituitary during the menstrual cycle. Eleven regularly menstruating women between 22 and 35 years of age with a usual cycle length of 27 to 31 days volunteered for this Study. Volunteers received an intra-venous injection of 100 microgram synthetic LH-RH and 200 microgram synthetic T-RH during the early and the late follicular phases and during the early and midluteal phases of the menstrual cycle. LH-RH induced a prompt increase in circulating LH, reaching the peak concentration at 30 minutes following LH-RH administration in all phases of the cycle studied. A change in responsiveness with greater and more sustained LH release from the early to the late follicular phases was observed. The response during the luteal phase was significantly greater than the responses in both the early and the late follicular phases. A concomitant but a much smaller FSH response was observed. T-RH elicited a prompt increase in circulating prolactin within 30 minutes and decreased gradually thereafter, reaching the baseline level by 2 hours after T-RH administration. Maximum concentration of prolactin was reached in 30 minutes following T-RH during all phases of the menstrual cycle. No variation in pituitary responsiveness to T-RH, however, was observed during different phases of the menstrual cycle. These data indicate that the sensitivity of the pituitary gonadotrophs to LH-RH varies during different phases of the menstrual cycle.
Adult ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone/secretion ; Gonadorelin/pharmacology* ; Human ; Luteinizing Hormone/secretion ; Menstruation* ; Pituitary Gland/drug effects* ; Protirelin/pharmacology*

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) with branch-foundation acupoint combination on the indices regarding pituitary-target gland axis in aging rats with yang deficiency, so as to explore its regulating mechanism on aging rats with yang deficiency.

METHODSForty healthy Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomly divided into a normal control group, a model group, an EA group and an EA control group, 10 rats in each group. Except the normal control group, the rats in the rest 3 groups were all treated with subcutaneous injection of D-galactose for 40 d, followed by intramuscular injection of hydrocortisone for 7 d to establish aging model with yang deficiency. After the successful establishment of model, the EA group was treated with EA at "Guanyuan" (CV 4), "Housanli" (ST 36) and "Baihui "(GV 20) while the EA control group was treated with EA at "Zhongji" (CV 3) "Yinlingquan" (SP 9) and "Yintang" (GV 29); the rats in the normal control group and model group were immobilized and fixed during the same time period. The treatments were given 6 times per week totally for 4 weeks. With radiation immunity analysis method, the 8 biological indices of pituitary-target gland axis, including thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), tetraiodothyronine-4 (T4), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone (CORT), estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were detected to observe the changes of their content.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, the serum level of TSH, T3, T4 and E2 were reduced in the model group (P<0.05, P< 0.01) while those of ACTH, CORT, FSH and LH were increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the serum level of TSH, T3, T4 and E2 were increased in the EA group (P<0.05, P<0.01) while those of ACTH, CORT, FSH and LH were significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the EA control group, the content of TSH was increased in the EA group without statistical significance (P>0.05), that of T3, T4 and E2 was increased (all P<0.05) and that of ACTH, CORT, FSH and LH was significantly reduced (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe electroacupuncture with branch-foundation acupoint combination has benign regulating effects on the key hormones of pituitary-target gland axis, which could effectively improve the dysfunction of pituitary-target gland axis that is caused by aging with yang deficiency; the efficacy of electroacupuncture with branch-foundation acupoint combination is superior to that of adjacent control acupoint combination.

Acupuncture Points ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; secretion ; Aging ; blood ; metabolism ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electroacupuncture ; Estradiol ; blood ; secretion ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; secretion ; Humans ; Pituitary Gland ; secretion ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thyroid Hormones ; blood ; secretion ; Yang Deficiency ; blood ; metabolism ; therapy

The effects of pituitary suppression with one-third depot of long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist in GnRH agonist long protocol for in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were investigated. A retrospective cohort study was performed on 3186 cycles undergoing IVF/ICSI with GnRH agonist long protocol in a university-affiliated infertility center. The pituitary was suppressed with depot triptorelin of 1.25 mg or 1.875 mg. There was no significant difference in live birth rate between 1.25 mg triptorelin group and 1.875 mg triptorelin group (41.2% vs. 43.7%). The mean luteinizing hormone (LH) level on follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) starting day was significantly higher in 1.25 mg triptorelin group. The mean LH level on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) administration was slightly but statistically higher in 1.25 mg triptorelin group. There was no significant difference in the total FSH dose between the two groups. The number of retrieved oocytes was slightly but statistically less in 1.25 mg triptorelin group than in 1.875 mg triptorelin group (12.90±5.82 vs. 13.52±6.97). There was no significant difference in clinical pregnancy rate between the two groups (50.5% vs. 54.5%). It was suggested that one-third depot triptorelin can achieve satisfactory pituitary suppression and produce good live birth rates in a long protocol for IVF/ICSI.
Adult ; Down-Regulation ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; methods ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Live Birth ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Pituitary Gland ; drug effects ; secretion ; Pregnancy ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; methods ; Triptorelin Pamoate ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

BACKGROUNDOver one million soldiers were treated for battle- or training-fatigue during World War II. Of all ground combat troops, 37% were discharged for psychiatric reasons due to fatigue. The neuroendocrinological and immunological systems played important roles in the work-related fatigue of military personnel. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of fatigue associated with military operations, and we observed changes in the regulatory functions of the neuroendocrinological and immunological systems that may provide theoretical support for improving the combat effectiveness of armies.

METHODSA total of 240 soldiers from the Field Artillery regiment were selected as subjects. Researchers and subjects received training before participating in the study. Data of the subjects' medical histories, physical examinations, scores on a fatigue assessment scale, and assessments of pituitary-adrenal hormones (adrenal cortical hormone (ACTH), cortical hormone (F), and 24-hour urine-free cortisol (UFC)), pituitary-gonadal hormones (luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, estradiol (E2), and prolactin (PRL)), pituitary-thyroid hormones (thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (TT4), triiodothyronine (TT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and free triiodothyronine (FT3)), and cellular immune parameters (CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), CD4(+)/CD8(+), B, and NK cells) were investigated before and after large-scale and high-intensity field exercises. Data were statistically analyzed with Student's t test using SPSS software (version 13.0), and P values < 0.05 were deemed to be significant.

RESULTSAfter the high-intensity military training, the scores on the fatigue scale reflected significant increases of feeling of unpleasantness among soldiers. Additionally, the symptom checklist showed notable increases in somatization scores and significant decreases in psychoticism scores. After intensive military work, levels of plasma ACTH, F, and UFC of soldiers were decreased (P < 0.01). The level of testosterone decreased significantly after the maneuver ((23.51 ± 6.49) versus (18.89 ± 5.89) nmol/L; P < 0.001), whereas the thyroid function (TT3, FT4, and FT3) was markedly increased after the maneuver (P < 0.01). The number of CD3(+), CD4(+), CD4(+)/CD8(+) cells, and B lymphocytes were decreased (P < 0.05), and NK cells were increased (P < 0.001) after the maneuver.

CONCLUSIONSFollowing high-intensity military operations, the psychological tolerance of soldiers was depressed. And the hypoadrenocorticism (the functional decreases of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and abnormal pituitary-thyroid axis) contributed to the increased levels of fatigue. Hypoimmunity may increase the susceptibility to diseases after high-intensity military operations.

Adolescent ; Adrenal Glands ; secretion ; Adult ; Endocrine System ; metabolism ; Estradiol ; blood ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; blood ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Pituitary Gland ; secretion ; Pituitary Hormones ; blood ; Prolactin ; blood ; Testosterone ; blood ; Thyroid Hormones ; Thyrotropin ; blood ; Thyroxine ; blood ; Triiodothyronine ; blood ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of the Chinese herbal formula Wuzi Yanzong Pill (, WYP) on the spermatogenesis and specific secretory functions of Sertoli cells in rat model and to investigate the underlying mechanism.

METHODSFive groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats including the control group, the model group, the low-dose WYP group, the medium-dose WYP group and the high-dose WYP group (5 in each group) were treated daily with vehicle, multiglycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f (GTW) either alone (20 mg/kg) or followed by WYP (0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 g/kg daily), respectively for 30 days. Serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), inhibin B (INHB) and testosterone (T) were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Androgen-binding protein (ABP) gene expression and transferrin (TF) protein expression in testis tissue specimens of all rats were determined using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analysis, respectively. Histopathological alterations in the testis were determined using Johnsen's score.

RESULTSThe toxicity of GTW towards Sertoli cell secretory functions and spermatogenesis was accompanied by increased serum FSH concentrations and decreased INHB and T concentrations. Upregulated ABP mRNA levels, and decreased TF protein expression and Johnsen's scores were detected in the model group compared with the control group P<0.05 or P<0.01). Oral high-dose WYP administrations to GTW-treated rats effectively alleviated all of the GTW-induced changes in specific secretory functions of Sertoli cells (ABP, INHB and TF). Furthermore, serum T level and Johnsen's score of the testis increased greatly compared with the model group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONWYP has the ability to improve the spermatogenesis, possibly through modulating the secretory proteins expression of Sertoli cells.

Androgen-Binding Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Inhibins ; blood ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sertoli Cells ; drug effects ; secretion ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects ; Tablets ; Testis ; cytology ; metabolism ; Testosterone ; blood ; Transferrin ; metabolism