Chapter 37: Hypothalamic & Pituitary Hormones

Chapter 37: Hypothalamic & Pituitary Hormones

A young couple (25-year-old male, 23-year-old female) wants to start a family. They have not conceived after 1 year of unprotected intercourse. Infertility evaluation revealed no abnormalities in the female partner and low sperm count in the male. Which of the following is a drug that is purified from the urine of postmenopausal women and is used to promote spermatogenesis in infertile men?

(A) Desmopressin

(B) Gonadorelin

(C) Goserelin

(D) Somatropin

(E) Urofollitropin

Spermatogenesis in males requires the action of FSH and LH. Urofollitropin, which is purified from the urine of postmenopausal women, is used clinically to provide FSH activity. The answer is E.

A 29-year-old woman in her 41st week of gestation had been in labor for 12 h. Although her uterine contractions had been strong and regular initially, they had diminished in force during the past hour. Which of the following agents would be used to facilitate this woman’s labor and delivery?

(A) Dopamine

(B) Leuprolide

(C) Oxytocin

(D) Prolactin

(E) Vasopressin

Oxytocin is an effective stimulant of uterine contraction that is routinely used to augment labor. The answer is C.

A 3-year-old boy with failure to thrive and metabolic disturbances was found to have an inactivating mutation in the gene that encodes the growth hormone receptor. Which of the following drugs is most likely to improve his metabolic function and promote his growth?

(A) Atosiban

(B) Bromocriptine

(C) Mecasermin

(D) Octreotide

(E) Somatropin

This child’s condition is due to the inability of GH to stimulate the production of insulin-like growth factors, the ultimate mediators of GH effects. Mecasermin, a combination of recombinant IGF-1 and the binding protein that protects IGF-1 from immediate destruction, will help correct the IGF deficiency. Because of the inactive GH receptors, somatropin will not be effective. The answer is C.

An important difference between leuprolide and ganirelix is that ganirelix

(A) Can be administered as an oral formulation

(B) Can be used alone to restore fertility to hypogonadal ...