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THE URINARY EXCRETION OF CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN BY HUMAN FEMALES FOLLOWING PARENTERAL ADMINISTRATION OF AQUEOUS OR BEESWAX SOLUTIONS

Department of Obstetrics, Syracuse University Medical College Syracuse, New York

THE primary function of chorionic gonadotropin in the human female would seem to be that of a luteotropic hormone. Parenteral administration of chorionic gonadotropin to normal women results in the increased function of the corpus luteum (1, 2). During the so-called "ovarian phase" of pregnancy, very high levels of this material have been found (3, 4). It is probable that this high level of chorionic gonadotropin stimulates the corpus luteum to secrete amounts of steroid hormones adequate to maintain the pregnancy.

It has been shown that many pregnant women who subsequently abort have low excretion rates of this material (3, 5) and of pregnanediol (6). It would seem that a rational method of treatment of threatened abortion would be to administer adequate amounts of chorionic gonadotropin in order to supplement the deficient placental secretion. This augmentation should stimulate further activity of the corpus luteum.

Since it has been reported that from 10,000 to 20,000 international units of chorionic gonadotropin must be given in a single injection to cause enough material to appear in the urine to produce a positive Aschheim-Zondek test (1), it is probable that large amounts of chorionic gonadotropin must be used to raise the gonadotropin level to the range found in normal pregnancy. This report concerns an attempt to determine the most effective means of maintaining a high level of circulating chorionic gonadotropin.

Received July 9, 1948.