RELATIVE POTENCY OF HUMAN PITUITARY GONADOTROPHIN PREPARATIONS FROM URINE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIOASSAY

Abstract

Five preparations of human pituitary gonadotropin, obtained from urine of post-menopausal women and normal men, were assayed for relative gonadotropic potency. The 3 end points used were ovarian hyperemia in rats, uterine weight in mice, and ovarian weight in mice. Pronounced dissimilarity of some of the preparations was evidenced by the fact that relative potency varied according to the end point used. Difference in relative potency were most striking when one of the end points was ovarian hyperemia in rats, and when 2 preparations differed in methods of extraction and purification rather than source of urine. There was satisfactory agreement between the intra-assay and inter-assay errors and the statistical model underlying the current statistics of bioassay was applicable to the data. The use of a reference preparation in the bioassay of urinary extracts of human pituitary gonadotropin is recommended.