The effect of unkei-to on pituitary gonadotropin secretion and ovulation in anovulatory cycles of young women.

Abstract

Unkei-to (TJ-106) induced significant increases of plasma follicle stimulating hormone level in the first grade (P < 0.05), second grade amenorrhea without weight loss (P < 0.05), and weight loss related to second grade amenorrhea (P < 0.01) in eight weeks of treatment, respectively. Plasma estradiol level significantly increased 1.8 times in 4 week treatment with Unkei-to in first grade amenorrhea (P < 0.01). In second grade amenorrhea without weight loss and weight loss related second grade amenorrhea, plasma estradiol level significantly increased 2.9 times (P < 0.01) and 1.7 times (P < 0.05) in 8 weeks treatment, respectively. On the other hand, the patterns of pulsatile secretion of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone remarkably improved by the treatment with Unkei-to. In the patients with second grade amenorrhea, follicles stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone pulses appeared in 3 out of 13 (23.1%) and 6 out of 13 (46.2%) with the treatment of Unkei-to, respectively in 85% of whom no pulses has been observed before the treatment. Ovulation occurred in 62.2% (23/37), 26.6% (4/15), and 21.7% (5/23) of the patients with first grade, second grade amenorrhea without weight loss, and weight loss related second grade amenorrhea by the treatment with Unkei-to, respectively. These results indicate that Unkei-to is effective on improvement of gonadotropin pulsatile secretion in the treatment of anovulatory women. This suggests that Unkei-to may enhance the pituitary response to Gn-RH or improvement of the pulsatile secretion of Gn-RH, inducing normalization of diencephalon-pituitary-ovarian endocrine system in the anovulatory patients.

• Authors: T Ushiroyama, S Tsubokura, A Ikeda, M Ueki
• Journal: The American journal of Chinese medicine (Am J Chin Med) Vol. 23 Issue 3-4 Pg. 223-30 ( 1995) ISSN: 0192-415X [Print] Singapore
• PMID: 8571918 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Gonadotropins
• Luteinizing Hormone
• Follicle Stimulating Hormone

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Female
• Follicle Stimulating Hormone (metabolism)
• Gonadotropins (metabolism)
• Humans
• Luteinizing Hormone (metabolism)
• Male
• Medicine, Chinese Traditional
• Ovulation (drug effects)
• Pituitary Gland (drug effects)
• Time Factors