The state of steroidogenesis in the adrenal glands and gonads in patients with polycystic ovary with inhibition of gonadotropic function

Abstract

Relationships between secretion of pituitary gonadotropic hormones, adrenal glucocorticoid and androgenic function, and ovarian steroid production were studied in 14 patients with the polycystic ovaries syndrome (POS) under conditions of suppressed endogenous gonadotropic secretion, which was induced by tonic administration of busereline, a GnRH agonist. The bRH/iRH ratio is not changed in POS patients under conditions of suppressed gonadotropic secretion. Inhibition of gonadotropic secretion leads to decrease of estrogen secretion in the ovaries and does not affect the adrenal glucocorticoid function. Activation of adrenal androgen production by the delta-5 pathway was observed in 57% patients under conditions of gonadotroph inhibition. Three months after busereline was discontinued, adrenal steroidogenesis normalized. The results permit a conclusion that prolonged inhibition of gonadotropic secretion with GnRH agonist does not change the bLH/iLH ratio but can lead to activation of adrenal androgen production in part of patients with POS.