ANTIHORMONE FORMATION COMPLICATING PITUITARY GONADOTROPIN THERAPY IN INFERTILE MEN

Abstract

In each of 7 sterile men given daily injns. of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) derived from sheep anterior pituitary glands, antihormone formation occurred. Sufficient antihormones formed within 2 months to vitiate completely the effects of the injd. FSH. The maximal titer of antihormones, attained within 3 months after initiating therapy, was sufficient to neutralize the effect of 50-200 times the daily injd. dose of FSH. Antihormones disappeared from the circulation within 3-9 months after cessation of therapy. Inasmuch as the antihormones were effective against gonadotropins derived from sheep, horse and human sources, they are not species-specific; and inasmuch as they were effective against anterior pituitary, chorionic and pregnant mare serum gonadotropins, they are not hormone-specific. The antihormones found in the patients'' plasma were capable not only of inactivating urinary gonadotropins derived from a castrated man, but also were able to prevent the action of the urinary gonadotropins of their hosts. It is therefore concluded that antihormones can prevent the actions of endogenous gonadotropins. The mechanism whereby antihormones prevent the actions of gonadotropic hormones is apparently a reversible combination between the molecules of hormone and the molecules of antihormone. It seems unlikely that anti-gonadotropins destroy gonadotropins or irreversibly combine with them, because endogenous gonadotropic hormones are being excreted in the urine when max. amts. of antihormone are present in the plasma. It is concluded that the kidney separates the combination of hormone and antihormone, permitting the excretion of gonadotropin and simultaneously retaining antigonadotropins in the circulation.