Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, 1933. / Offprint: Endocrinology, v. 18, no. 1 (Jan.-Feb. 1934). Includes bibliographical references (p. 17).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Bibliography: l. 88-97.

Dissertation (Ph.D.) -- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2006. / Vita. Bibliography: pp. 88-101.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a glycoprotein hormone with two nonidentical subunits, is produced by chorionic tissue in pregnant women and by neoplastic tissue containing chorionic elements. It is used in the treatment of male hypogonadism and female sub-fertility. Quantitation of HCG is used to monitor therapy, diagnose various disease states and diagnose and monitor pregnancy. Low levels of HCG in the early and late stages of pregnancy and in various disease states has prompted the development of extremely sensitive assay procedures. Clinically, radioimmunoassay methods are most frequently used due to their precision, sensitivity and cost. However, problems with specificity have been noted. Commercial preparations of HCG must meet the standards outlined in the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). The assay procedure involves a rat uterine weight bioassay. This protocol is lengthy to perform (5 days), requires the sacrifice of a large number of animals (minimum of 60 female rats per assay) and may need to be repeated if the results do not meet the statistical requirements of the assay. Due to the use of animals and the animal care facilities required, this is an expensive assay. In addition, the bioassay is not specific for HCG. Therefore, this thesis reports the analysis of two commercial preparations of HCG, as well as USP Reference Standard HCG and commercially available purified intact HCG and purified individual subunits. Various HPLC assay procedures were evaluated to determine if HPLC would be a viable alternative to the official USP bioassay. Size exclusion HPLC, using one Protein Pak 125 sw column and two Protein Pak 300 sw columns individually and in various combinations, was used to assess all the samples of HCG. Attempts to increase resolution of HCG from interfering components found in these preparations included using both 208 nm and 278 nm for ultraviolet detection, evaluation of 32 buffers as mobile phases with the Protein Pak 300 sw column, fluorescamine derivatization of HCG followed by fluorescence detection, connection of two size exclusion columns in series, and recycling on a Protein Pak 300 sw column. Further attempts to isolate HCG from its protein contaminants involved using ion exchange HPLC with a Protein Pak DEAE 5 pw column with 20 different buffers as mobile phases as well as reversed-phase HPLC with an Ultrasphere ODS column. The greatest resolution was obtained with one Protein Pak 300 sw column with a phosphate buffer (0.15 M, pH 7.0) for the mobile phase and ultraviolet detection. Latex agglutination inhibition slide tests and electrophoresis techniques were used to evaluate commercial samples of HCG and chromatographic peak eluates. Commercial HCG samples appear to contain the individual subunits of HCG and intact HCG along with impurities. The USP Reference Standard HCG contains intact HCG but also contains other ultraviolet absorbing components that were partially separated by HPLC. Electrophoresis also indicated that this HCG sample contained impurities. In addition, the purified intact HCG and purified subunit samples contained impurities, as shown by HPLC. The size exclusion HPLC assay developed using one Protein Pak 300 sw column was unable to resolve intact HCG from the beta-subunit. This assay would be useful for a qualitative assay for purity of HCG preparations. However, at present, HPLC is not a viable alternative to the USP bioassay. / Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of / Graduate

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Superovulatory treatment with exogenous gonadotrophins adversely affects the uterus through the disruption of the delicate balance of ovarian steroid (estrogens, progestins, androgens) secretion rates. To examine the uterine effects of this treatment, 189 animals were given 4, 20 or 40 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) at 28 days of age and sacrificed every 24 h until day 10 (D10) post injection. To study the long term uterine effects, 12 rats were treated with 4 or 40 IU PMSG and killed on D30. The morphological and histological changes of control (4 IU) uteri mimicked those of the adult on a comparable time course from D2 to D5. Administration of superovulatory doses (2 0, 4 0 IU) of PMSG produced stromal hypertrophy by D2 and focal papillary hyperplasia of the luminal epithelia by D3. It is suggested that previous exposure to high levels of estrogen and androgens, secondary to superovulation, are possible causes for this pathology. Levels of 17B-estradiol following 2 0 and 40 IU PMSG treatment were significantly (p<0.005, p<0.05) elevated above those of controls from DI to early D3 and at D2, respectively. Androgen levels of both groups (20 IU, 40 IU) significantly (p<0.05, p<0.005) increased from baseline at DI to maxima by D2 and D3, respectively. In the 20 IU PMSG group, the hyperplasia gradually regressed after D3 and was absent by D10. The hyperplasia in the 40 IU PMSG group, however, had diffused by D6. It is suspected that preceding elevated levels of estrogen may be responsible for this progressive change. At D4, levels of 17B-estradiol reached a maximum, which was significantly (p<0.001) greater than those of controls and 20 IU PMSG treated rats. Between D6 and D10, the hyperplasia partially regressed. Examination of uteri from D30 revealed no evidence of pathology. In addition to these structural effects, superovulation induced secretion of a mucinous substance in both 20 IU and 40 IU PMSG groups at D5-D6 and D6-D7, respectively. These results suggest that abnormal changes in the uterine histology and metabolism may result following administration of superovulatory doses of PMSG. Although these dose-dependent alterations appear reversible, they may interfere with preparations associated with implantation and thus require further investigation. / Medicine, Faculty of / Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of / Graduate

No description available.

No description available.

Inhibin and activin are disulphide-linked dimeric proteins that belong to the transforming growth factor superfamily. Inhibin and activin are identified that they have ability to modulate the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone, FSH, from pituitary. Activin can stimulate FSH secretion, on the other hand, inhibin can inhibit FSH production. According to many researches, inhibin and activin play an important roles in regulation of reproduction. Black porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegeli) is belong to protandry.that has a complex regulation in sex differentiation and development. The male differentiation in black porgy started at fourth month, and the testis become mature when the spawing season coming.in the first two year in black porgy, they are differentiate to functional males, and some of them will change to females in the third year. The objectives were to study the possible roles of inhibin¡Bactivin subunits and their receptors in sex differentiation and sex change in black porgy. The gene expression of activin system increase during the period of ovarian development. The expression of activin receptors in ovarian tissue are higher than in testis tissue in the testis-excision experiment. The expression of inhbab ¡Bacvr1and acvr2b after testis-excision are higher than in control in black porgy forebrain. The expression of inhbaa increase at four to five months after hatching in 0+-yr old black porgy, and the expression of inhbb and receptors decrease at the same time. According to these results, activin system may involve in the ovarian development and mature, and play important roles in testis differentiation and development in black porgy. Furthermore, activin system have sex dimorphisms in forebrain in black porgy.

Thesis--University of Kentucky (Ph. D.), 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 65 p. : ill. Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 60-65).