Induction of preovulatory luteinizing hormone surge and prevention of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist*

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1 FERTILITY AND STERILITY Copyright c 1991 The American Fertility Society Vol. 56, No., August 1991 Printed on acid-free paper in U.S.A. Induction of preovulatory luteinizing hormone surge and prevention of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist* Joseph Itskovitz, M.D., D.Sc. t:l: Rafael Boldes, M.D. t Jacob Levron, M.D.t Yohanan Erlik, M.D.t Luna Kahana, Ph.D. Joseph M. Brandes, M.D.t Rambam Medical Center, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Faculty of Medicine, and the Central Endocrine Laboratory, Linn Medical Center, Haifa, Israel Objective: To use gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH -a) instead of human chorionic gonadotropin (hcg) to induce oocyte maturation for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Design: Pituitary and ovarian responses to GnRH -a and the outcome of IVF were studied prospectively. Data from patients injected with hcg were analyzed retrospectively. Setting: Program of IVF at the Ran!bam (Governmental) Hospital, Haifa, Israel. Patients and Interventions: One or two doses of buserelin acetate to 0 p.g were administered to six patients with moderate response (Estradiol [E ], 1,9 ± [±SD] pg/ml) and 8 patients with exaggerated response (E, 7,67 ±,08 pg/ml) to gonadotropin stimulation. Progesterone (P) and E were administered for luteal support. Main Outcome Measures: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist effectively triggered luteinizing hormone (LH)/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) surge. Mature oocytes were recovered in all patients. Luteal E and P were lower than in patients injected with hcg. No signs of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome were observed. Results: Serum LH and FSH rose over and 1 hours, respectively, and were significantly (P < 0.05) elevated for hours. Of all mature oocytes, 67% fertilized and 8% cleaved. Four pregnancies were obtained. Conclusions: A bolus of GnRH -a is able to trigger an adequate midcycle LH/FSH surge, resulting in oocyte maturation and pregnancy. Our preliminary results also suggest that it allows a more accurate control of ovarian steroid levels during the luteal phase and may prevent the clinical manifestation of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Fertil Steril 56:1, 1991 Gonadotropin medications have been used successfully for three decades to stimulate ovarian follicular development in anovulatory patients and, more re- Received November 6, 1990; revised and accepted April 16, * Presented in part at the International Symposium on GnRH Analogues in Cancer and Human Reproduction, Geneva, Switzerland, February 18 to 1, 1988, and at the 6th World Congress of In Vitro Fertilization and Alternative Assisted Reproduction, Jerusalem, Israel, April to 7, 1989_ t Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rambam Medical Center. :j: Reprint requests: Joseph Itskovitz (Eldor), M.D., D.Sc., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa 1096, Israel. The Central Endocrine Laboratory, Linn Medical Center. cently, in normal ovulatory women for the purpose of in vitro fertilization (IVF). 1 In these patients, endogenous luteinizing hormone (LH) surge infrequently occurs and therefore the administration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hcg) is required to induce oocyte maturation and ovulation. Although similar in action to LH, hcg does not provide a physiological stimulation that is identical to the endogenous LH surge. Furthermore, hcg therapy, because of its longer half-life time compared with LH, is associated with a sustained luteotropic effect, multiple corpora lutea (CL) development, and supraphysiological serum levels of estradiol (E ) and progesterone (P) throughout the luteal phase. A high estrogen (E) level has been implicated in implantation failure and early embryonic loss in humans and animals. 5 6 Vol. 56, No., August 1991 ltskovitz et al. GnRH-a-induced LH/FSH surge 1

2 Table 1 Diagnosis, Stimulation Protocol, and the Number of Mature Fertilized Oocytes Diagnosis Stimulation Dosage of No. of mature protocol buserelin acetate fertilized oocytes Group A patients (normal responders) 1 Mechanical Mechanical Mechanical Male factor 5 PCOD 6 Mechanical, PCOD, male factor Group B patients (high responders) 7 Mechanical 8 Mechanical 9 Mechanical 10 Unexplained 11 PCOD, male factor 1 Mechanical 1 Mechanical, male factor 1 PCOD, male factor I'll FSH/hMG 0 X / CC/hMG 0 X 6/6 FSH/hMG 0 X 10/1 FSH/hMG 0 X /11 CC/hMG 0 X 9/10 FSH/hMG 0 X 1/7 FSH/hMG X 18/0 FSH/hMG X /5 FSH/hMG X 1/19 CC/hMG 0 X 1 9/1 hmg 0 X 1 16/ FSH/hMG X 1 6/8 FSH/hMG X 1 11/0 hmg X 1 0/1 Patients who disclose multiple follicular development and high serum E levels (> 1,0 pg/ml) before hcg is given are prone to develop ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, the most seriously encountered complication related to gonadotropin therapy. 7 Although the pathophysiology of the syndrome is not known, it is clearly related to the existence of multiple CL and the sustained luteotropic effect of hcg. Withholding injection of hcg may prevent the development of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome but results in failure to ovulate and conceive. The potent gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRH-a) induces a sustained release of LH and FSH from the pituitary that may last, depending on the dose administered and the phase of the menstrual cycle, for several hours.s- 11 This initial stimulatory effect is followed by a decline of pituitary response to further GnRH-a stimulation. 9 In view of the potential clinical benefits derived from its dual effect on the secretion of gonadotropins, we have used the GnRH-a as an alternative to hcg to stimulate endogenous LH/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) surge in patients undergoing ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins for the purpose of IVF. In these patients, GnRH -a effectively triggered LH/ FSH surge that resulted in the recovery of mature, fertilizable oocytes. However, despite the existence of multiple preovulatory follicles, circulatory levels of E and P during the luteal phase were close to those of the nonstimulated menstrual cycle, and no signs or symptoms of ovarian hyperstimulation syn- drome were observed in patients at high risk to develop this syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients and Protocols Fourteen women (age 0.0 ±.6 years, mean ± SD) undergoing ovarian stimulation for IVF were included in this study. Table 1 summarizes the clinical diagnosis and ovarian stimulation protocols in individual patients. In the FSH/human menopausal gonadotropins (hmg) protocol (n = 9), two ampules offsh (Metrodin; Teva, Petah-Tikva, Israel) containing 75 IU of human urinary FSH and <1 IU of LH in each ampule and two ampules of hmg (Pergonal; Teva) containing 75 IU of FSH and 75 IU of LH were injected on days and of the cycle. This was followed by injection of two ampules of hmg on subsequent days. In the hmg-only protocol (n = ), patients received two ampules of hmg from day of the cycle. In the clomiphene citrate (CC)/hMG protocol (n = ), a tablet of CC (Ikaclomine; Teva), mg two times daily, was given from days 5 to 10, and two ampules of hmg were injected from day 8 of the cycle and thereafter. Patients were monitored during the follicular phase with daily determination of serum E, P, and gonadotropin levels, and with transvaginal scanning of ovarian follicles. Buserelin acetate (D-Ser[TBU] 6 -des-gly-nhl 0 GnRH ethylamide, Superfact; Hoechst AG, Frank- 1 ltskovitz et al. GnRH-a-induced LH/FSH surge Fertility and Sterility

3 J... - J: J E OVARIAN STIMULATION OnRHa GnRHa 1 Hours 'e 1 eo Follcle ooplrotlon Figure 1 Hormonal levels (mean ± SEM) before and after the injection of two doses ofbuserelin acetate, 0 J.l.g, in six normalresponder patients. Baseline is the rd day of the menstrual cycle. Serum LH and FSH were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than on time 0 for a period of hours. furt, Germany) was injected subcutaneously to induce an endogenous LH/FSH surge when at least one follicle reached a diameter of 16 mm. In group A, which included six normal-responder patients, a dose ofbuserelin acetate, 0 f.lg, was injected in two successive doses 1 hours apart. Group B included eight high-responder patients; in this group a double dose of buserelin, f.lg, 1 hours apart was injected into three patients, and a single dose of buserelin acetate to 0 f.lg was injected into five patients. Transvaginal ultrasound-guided aspiration of ovarian follicles was carried out 6 hours after the first GnRH-a injection. Oocytes were cultured in Ham's F-10 (Gibco, Paisley, Scotland) medium sup o:::! i... plemented with 7.5% human fetal cord serum and were inseminated with,000 to 100,000 sperm/ml to 6 hours after retrieval. The oocytes were then examined for fertilization 18 to 0 hours after insemination, zygotes were cultured in Ham's F-10 medium supplemented with 15% fetal cord serum, and cleaved embryos were transferred to the uterus to 8 hours after insemination. Serum samples for the determination of E and P were collected during the luteal phase, and patients were supplemented with E and P to maintain serum E and P levels at about 00 to 00 pg/ml and 15 to 0 ng/ml, respectively. Luteal phase serum levels of E and P were compared retrospectively with those measured in a group of 1 control normalresponder IVF patients injected with an ovulatory dose of hcg 10,000 IU and supplemented with P 5 to mg/d throughout the luteal phase. The average age was 1.1 ±.9 years. The indications for IVF were mechanical infertility (n = 8), unexplained infertility (n = ), male infertility (n = ), polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD), and mechanical infertility (n = 1), and PCOD and male infertility (n = 1). For ovarian stimulation, 10 patients were injected with FSH/hMG, and patients received hmg only. Exogenous E was provided as oral E valerate (Progyluton; Schering AG, Berlin, Germany), and P was provided by intramuscular injection of P in oil (Gestone; Paines and Byrne, Greenford, United Kingdom). Patients were examined, and the pelvis was scanned transvaginally at the midluteal and late luteal phase to determine the size of the ovaries and the existence of the free peritoneal fluid. Hormonal Assays Serum E and P were assayed using a commercially available radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit (Coat A-Count; Diagnostic Product Corporation, Los Angeles, CA). Serum LH and FSH were measured by RIA (Amerlex M; Amersham International, Amersham, United Kingdom). The intra-assay and interassay coefficients of variation were 6% and 10% for E, 8% and 11% for P, 9% and 16% for LH, and 6% and 8% for FSH, respectively. Statistical Analysis The paired Student's t-test with Bonferroni's correction for multiple measurement was used to determine statistical significance (Figs. 1,, and ). Probability < 0.05 was considered significant. Vol. 56, No., August 1991 Itskovitz et al. GnRH-a-induced LH/FSH surge 15

4 ... %! "' D. 0 :0 ;; w - 00 Ovarian 100 Stimulation 0 1oooci go,t -t t' 100.! 9 0! I. f I.'-P y!, 0.t... of GnRH-a had no effect on LH release, at least as reflected in the serum levels of LH hours after its injection, suggesting that pituitary desensitization to GnRH -a had already occurred 1 hours after the first injection. Serum E levels at the time of GnRH -a injection averaged 1,9 ± (±SD) pg/ml (range, 7 to,11 pg/ml). The LH/FSH surge was temporally associated with the attainment of peak E levels and the initiation of a rapid rise of P during the 1st 1 hours. Serum E then gradually fell, and P plateaued during the hours preceding follicle aspiration. After follicle aspiration, a second rise of P and a continuous fall of E were observed, reflecting an acute shift in ovarian steroidogenesis in favor of P. High Responders The changes in serum levels of LH, E, and P in high responders (group B) injected with either single o-ohcg... GnRHa, Group A o..ognrha, Group B 0 /.J.._.J._.J...L.-J...:J0 Baoellne T eo Hours Follcle aeplralkxl Figure Serum LH, E, and P levels (mean ± SEM) in eight high-responder patients injected with either a double dose ofbuserelin acetate, p.g, (n = ) or a single dose ofbuserelin acetate, to 0 p.g (n = 5). Serum LH was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than on time 0 for a period of hours. RESULTS Pituitary and Ovarian Response to GnRH-a Normal Responders Serum LH, FSH, E, and P before and after the injection of two successive doses of buserelin acetate 0 f.lg into six normal responders (group A) are shown in Figure 1. The injection of GnRH -a resulted in an acute release of LH and FSH. Serum LH and FSH rose over hours and 1 hours, with an incremental ratio (peak/basal) of 1. and.6, respectively. The LH surge could be divided into two phases: a short ascending phase ( hours) and a long descending phase ( hours). The second injection 16 Itskovitz et al. GnRH-a-induced LH/FSH surge Figure i i e a 10 1 Days Alter Follicle Aspiration Serum E and P levels (mean ± SEM) throughout the luteal phase in normal responders injected with either hcg (0-0, n = 1) or GnRH-a (group A) (e -- e, n = 6) and in high responders injected with GnRH-a (group B) (0 -- 0, n = 8). Control normal responders treated with hcg were supplemented with P in oil 5 to mg/d from day until day 1. Normal and high responders injected with GnRH-a were supplemented with E valerate and Pin oil (see Tables and for details). Serum E was lower (P < 0.05) from day until day 8, and on day 6, in normal and high responders injected with GnRH-a, respectively, than in normal responders injected with hcg. Serum P was lower (P < 0.05) from day until day 8, and from day until day 8, in normal and high responders treated with GnRH-a, respectively, than in normal responders injected with hcg. Fertility and Sterility

5 Table Luteal Phase Support and Hormonal Levels in Patients Injected With GnRH-a Luteal support Daily dose Progesterone Day started Daily dose E valerate Day started E Midluteal serum level" p Group A patients {normal responders) 1 5b 6 Group B patients (high responders) llb to 5 5 to to 75 to to 75 8 to to to to pg/ml ng/ml ,0 0 Day 6 of the luteal phase. b Patients conceived after transfer of fresh embryos. Patient conceived after transfer of cryopreserved embryos. (n = 5) or double (n = ) dose of GnRH-a are illustrated in Figure. Serum E at the time of GnRH-a injection averaged 7,67 ±,08 pg/ml and ranged from 5,0 to 1,10 pg/ml. Serum LH rose 0-fold over hours and then fell to baseline after 6 hours. Serum E and P levels were higher than those measured in normal responders, but the pattern and dynamics of the hormonal changes were similar. There were no differences in the hormonal response among the different regimens of buserelin acetate therapy. Oocytes and Embryos Mature oocytes were recovered in all patients (Table 1). A mean of 8. ±. (range, to 1) and 0. ± 5. (range, 1 to 8) mature oocytes per patient were retrieved from the normal- and high-responder groups, respectively. Of all oocytes recovered, 11.9% were judged to be immature and 9.7% were atretic. Of the mature oocytes 67.% (1/11) fertilized normally; only.7% (/16) were polyspermic. In patient no. 1, none of the mature oocytes fertilized, most likely because of abnormal sperm profile. In patient no. 6, only one of seven mature oocytes fertilized despite an apparently normal sperm profile. In this patient, a low fertilization rate was also observed in two previous IVF attempts. Of the normally fertilized mature oocytes, 8.% (117/1) cleaved, and the transfer of 60 embryos Vol. 56, No., August 1991 to the uterus of 1 patients resulted in three pregnancies (one late abortion at 16 weeks [patient no. 5], one premature delivery of twins at 0 weeks with survival of one normally developing infant, [patient no. 8], and one term delivery of healthy infant [patient no. 11]). Forty-four embryos were frozen. Until now, 16 embryos were thawed and transferred to the uterus of three patients during a natural menstrual cycle, resulting in one term delivery of normal infant (patient no. 1). The Luteal Phase Table summarizes the dosage of P and E valerate administered and the midluteal phase serum P and E levels in individual patients. Figure illustrates serum E and P changes throughout the luteal phase in normal and high-responder patients. In 1 control, normal responders, serum E on the day of hcg injection averaged 1,18 ± 56 pg/ml (range, 515 to,00 pg/ml). It fell after follicle aspiration and then rose to a peak midluteal level of 1,15 ± 66 pg/ml (range, to,51 pg/ml) (Fig. ). Serum Prose progressively after follicle aspiration and reached a midluteal phase peak of 87.5 ± 9.7 ng/ml and then fell to 15.5 ±.7 ng/ml on day 10 (Fig. ). Serum E and P were relatively stable throughout the luteal phase and were lower (P < 0.05) in ltskovitz et al. GnRH-a-induced LH/FSH surge 17

6 both the normal and high responders treated with GnRH-a than those treated with hcg (Fig. ). In 1 patients, the administration of E valerate and P was required to maintain midluteal and late luteal phase serum E and P levels between 00 and 00 pgfml and 15 and 0 ng/ml, respectively, (Table and Fig. ). In patients 6 and 1 (both diagnosed as having PCOD), no steroid supplementation was required, and in patient supplementation was initiated only on day 8 of the luteal phase (Table ). In patients who conceived after embryo transfer, P in oil to 100 mg/d was administered throughout the first trimester of pregnancy. None of the patients developed any signs or symptoms of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Transvaginal sonography disclosed only slightly to moderately enlarged multicystic ovaries with no, or only a minimal amount of peritoneal fluid. DISCUSSION This study shows that a bolus midcycle administration of GnRH -a triggered an endogenous LH/ FSH surge that was effective in the induction of oocyte maturation in vivo and enabled the recovery of mature fertilizable oocytes in patients undergoing ovarian stimulation for the purpose of IVF. The dynamics of pituitary gonadotropin secretion and the pattern of circulating E and P at the periovulatory interval were qualitatively similar to those observed in the natural menstrual cyclep Despite the development of multiple preovulatory follicles, luteal phase serum E and P were lower than those detected in ovarian-stimulated patients injected with hcg and were close to the levels observed in the natural menstrual cycle. The normal spontaneous LH surge of the natural menstrual cycle is characterized by a short ascending phase (1 hours), a peak plateau phase (1 hours), and a long descending phase (0 hours)p The GnRH-a-induced LH surge was similar in magnitude to the natural LH surge, but it consisted only of a short ascending limb (> hours) and a long descending limb (>0 hours) (Fig. 1). This GnRH-ainduced LH surge was, however, effective in inducing the final stage of follicular maturation and the initiation and completion of oocyte maturation in vivo. Although meiosis resumption was most likely initiated and completed by the GnRH-a-induced LH surge, it is also possible that the stimulus for oocyte maturation was provided or enhanced by a direct effect of the GnRH-a on the oocyte. A direct stimulating action of GnRH or its agonist on oocyte maturation in the rat and monkey has been demonstrated.1-15 The GnRH-a-induced FSH surge was similar in its pattern and duration to that observed in the natural cycle (Fig. l)p The physiological role, if any, of the FSH surge in the human has not been defined. It is not known if the use of GnRH -a, because of its release of pituitary FSH, has any advantage over the use of hcg devoided of FSH-like activity. The presence of midcycle FSH surge is not an obligatory one because apparently normal oocyte maturation and ovulation occur after the injection of hcg, when it might be expected that endogenous peripheral FSH levels would not be elevated. However, studies in rats have shown a role for FSH in the maturation of the oocyte-cumulus complex through the suppression of the intercellular coupling of the cumulus cells and the promotion of the secretion of glycosaminoglycans from granulosa cells Similar to the natural menstrual cycle, 1 the initiation of the GnRH-a-induced LH surge was temporally associated with a rapid rise of serum P and the attainment of peak E levels during the 1st 1 hours after the injection of GnRH-a (Figs. 1 and ). This was followed by a transient suppression of P biosynthesis and a gradual fall in E levels during the hours preceding follicle aspiration. After follicle aspiration, a second acute rise of P and continuous fall of E were observed, reflecting the transition from the follicular to the luteal phase. This apparently normal follicular-luteal shift in steroidogenesis was, however, associated with luteal phase serum E and P levels that were significantly lower than those normally observed in gonadotropin-stimulated patients injected with an ovulatory dose of hcg (Fig. ). In fact, the administration of E and P was required in most patients to maintain serum E and P levels above those detected in the luteal phase of the normal natural cycle, although as many as 8 mature oocytes were aspirated in the high responders (Table ). After ovulation, the CL is dependent on pituitary LH It is possible that the administration of a high dose of GnRH -a altered the pattern of pulsatile or basal pituitary LH secretion during the luteal phase, resulting in reduced luteotropic support of pituitary LH. Alternatively, GnRH-a could inhibit ovarian steroidogenesis by direct action on the ovary. Specific binding of GnRH to human luteal tissue and the presence of high affinity GnRH receptors in human granulosa cells have been recently reported.0 1 Furthermore, inhibitory effects of GnRH-a on P production by human and rat granulosa or luteal cells have also been demonstrated Itskovitz et al. GnRH-a-induced LH/FSH surge Fertility and Sterility

7 Common factors associated with the development of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome are multiple follicles and high E levels on the day of hcg injection. Remarkably, none of the high responders developed any signs or symptoms of ovarian hyperstimulation, despite the presence of many mature follicles and extremely high levels of E (as high as 1,10 pg/ml) before GnRH-a injection. Our preliminary results suggest that the use of GnRH -a instead of hcg, for the first time provides a means by which the risk of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome after ovulation induction can be reduced or even eliminated. Further studies are required to determine the efficacy of this therapeutic regimen in reducing the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in women showing exaggerated response to exogenous gonadotropins. The possible adverse effects of these extremely high levels of E at the periovulatory period even in the absence of frank ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, on blood coagulation and electrolyte homeostasis need to be examined. Some controlled ovarian stimulation protocols for IVF include adjunctive GnRH-a therapy during the follicular phase to prevent premature LH surge and early luteinization. Because of the resultant gonadotroph desensitization to GnRH, induction of endogenous LH/FSH surge with GnRH-a may not be possible in cycles that include adjunctive GnRH-a therapy. The use of GnRH -a instead of hcg also enables the development of new therapeutic manipulations of the hormonal levels throughout the luteal phase in patients undergoing ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins. Luteal phase support and the desired circulation levels of E and P could be managed more accurately, thus avoiding the excessive levels of circulation Es, which have been implicated in the high rate of early embryonic loss and implantation failure in patients undergoing ovarian stimulation for IVF or other assisted reproductive techniques. 5 6 A potential disadvantage of this therapeutic schedule in patients who have conceived lies in the need for prolonged luteal support with P until the time of the luteal-placental shift in P biosynthesis. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal ovulatory dose of GnRH-a and to examine its effects on CL function. The use of GnRH-a has other theoretical advantages over hcg for ovulation induction. The short GnRH-a-induced LH surge, rather than the extended surge of hcg, could provide a more physiological ovulatory stimulus. 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