Studies on the Urinary Excretion of Follicle-Stimulating and Luteinizing Hormone Activity During the Menstrual Cycle

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Abstract
A study was made of the urinary excretion of follicle-stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing (LH) activity throughout 7 menstrual cycles in 6 normal adult women. The subjects studied exhibited menstrual cycles similar in length and the individual basal body temperature (BBT) charts showed a peak in temperature occurring at midcycle. Urinary FSH and LH activity were measured by the rat ovarian weight augmentation and the rat ovarian ascorbic acid depletion methods, respectively. Results were expressed in terms of NIH-FSH-S2 ("FSH" activity), NIH-LH-S1 ("LH" activity) and in terms of the Second International Reference Preparation for Human Menopausal Gonadotrophins (2nd IRP). A composite curve was derived by summating the days preceding or following the day of minimum BBT on each of the individual cycles. It was found that FSH was present throughout the cycle, with a tendency to rise on days (+) 1-2- LH was also present throughout the cycle, showing a significant rise on days (+) 1-2, (+) 3-4 and (+) 5-6. Also included in this report are 3 other cycles of 2 subjects in whom elevation of BBT at midcycle was not observed. It was found that FSH was present throughout the period of observation, with apparently 2 significant peaks on days 7-8 and 13-14. LH was also present throughout the period of observation but there was no significant increase at any point.