Function of the human corpus luteum during the puerperium: Its maintenance by exogenous human chorionic gonadotropin

There is no turning back on the paradigm shift on the actions of human chorionic gonadotropin and luteinizing hormone

“…After the shift, hCG was presumed to be a vestigial hormone, even though it is known that low levels are present during the remainder of pregnancy and hCG is believed to contribute to an increased relaxin levels during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy by stimulating its secretion by corpus luteum. [14][15][16] These findings alone should have alerted us to question whether hCG has functions beyond early pregnancy. The paradigm shift provided an ample evidence to suggest that hCG indeed has actions throughout pregnancy.…”

Significant Immunohistochemical Expression of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in High-Grade Osteosarcoma is Rare, but May Be Associated with Clinically Elevated Serum Levels

“…Thus, characterization of substances not produced by normal host cells may prove helpful for the diagnosis or treatment of osteosarcoma, as well as determination of prognosis. One such substance is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a heterodimeric protein composed of noncovalently-linked a and b subunits, which normally is secreted by placental syncytiotrophoblast and is required for *Corresponding author, e-mail: sullivanl@email.chop.edu Pediatric and Developmental Pathology 17, 278-285, 2014 DOI: 10.2350/14-02-1436-OA.1 ª 2014 Society for Pediatric Pathology maintenance of the corpus luteum in early pregnancy [4,5].…”

Hormone production by the intact human corpus luteum in vitro

“…Information on steroid hormone production by the corpus luteum (CL) has mostly been obtained indirectly by the measurement of urinary or blood levels of hormones which characterize the luteal phase of the ovarian cycle. Studies have also been carried out in which slices (LeMaire, Rice & Savard, 1968;LeMaire et al, 1971 ; Marsh, Savard & LeMaire, 1976) or homogenates (Ryan, 1963) of the CL have been incubated for short periods and hormone production measured by assay of the culture fluid. In all in-vitro studies there is loss of the normal blood supply to the tissues, and slicing or homogenization may add cell damage and disruption of normal cellular interrelation¬ ships to the problems faced in culture experiments.…”