Effect of growth hormone on follicular fluid androgen levels in patients treated with gonadotropins before in vitro fertilization

Abstract

Forty normally ovulating women aged 25-38 years from one private and two university in vitro fertilization (IVF) centres were used in this randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled study to explore the effect of recombinant human growth hormone (GH) on follicular fluid (FF) levels of steroid hormones, particularly androgens. All the women had tubal factor infertility and were classified as poor responders with at least two previously performed and failed IVF treatments in which less than five oocytes had been retrieved following ovarian hyperstimulation. Growth hormone (GH 0.1 IU/kg body wt per day) or placebo was given as pretreatment during down-regulation with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and during stimulation with human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) according to the randomized protocol. Follicular fluid concentrations of steroids were measured and changes related to the levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGF binding proteins 1 and 3 and to the mode of GH administration. Pretreatment with GH, i.e. administration of GH before hMG stimulation only, caused significantly elevated follicular fluid concentrations of estrone, testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and higher values for markers of aromatase activity (ratios between estrone and androstenedione and between estradiol-17 beta and androstenedione) than in the placebo group, as well as in the two groups receiving GH during hMG stimulation. The highest values for markers of steroid sulfatase activity (ratios between DHA and DHEA sulfate and between unconjugated and conjugated estrone) were found in the patients pretreated with GH. Positive correlations were found between follicular fluid IGF-I and IGF binding protein 3 on the one hand and androgens on the other. This study showed that the administration of adjuvant GH to women who were poor responders to gonadotropins alters the endocrine/paracrine ovarian response to gonadotropins.