Question

Suppose you invented a drug that blocked the production of LH from the anterior pituitary.  

1.  How would this affect the menstrual cycle?

2. Would this drug be a good method for birth control? Why?

Answer 1

1. Luteinizing hormone (LH, also known as lutropin and sometimes lutrophin) is a hormone produced by gonadotropic cells in the anterior pituitary gland. In females, an acute rise of LH ("LH surge") triggers ovulation.

In women, the hormone stimulates the ovaries to produce oestradiol. Two weeks into a woman's cycle, a surge in luteinizing hormone causes the ovaries to release an egg during ovulation. If fertilization occurs, luteinizing hormone will stimulate the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone to sustain the pregnancy.

LH affects sex organs of both male and female .LH plays a role in puberty, menstruation, and fertility. If LH is blocked it created “secondary ovarian failure,” which means the problem starts with the pituitary gland or hypothalamus (a part of the brain).

Blocking the production of LH affected puberty . LH works with another sex hormone called follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to control menstrual cycles. Blocking the production of LH badly affected menstruation cycle.

2.Luteinizing hormone works in concert with FSH to orchestrate menstrual cycle. Both FSH and LH are inactive during pregnancy itself.During menstruation, the pituitary gland secretes follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormones (LH) in response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. FSH stimulates growth of the follicles, the cells in the ovary that release the egg. This in turn stimulates the secretion of the hormone estrogen. As estrogen levels rise, there is an increase in LH concentration, which causes ovulation — the release of the egg. The levels of estrogen and the progesterone hormone rise, which in turn inhibit the secretion of FSH and LH.

The LH surge signals that ovulation is about to start. Ovulation is the medical term for an ovary releasing a mature egg.

A gland in the brain, called the anterior pituitary gland, produces LH.

Levels of LH are low for most of the monthly menstrual cycle. However, around the middle of the cycle, when the developing egg reaches a certain size, LH levels surge to become very high.

A woman is most fertile around this time. People refer to this interval as the fertile window or fertile period.

If drug used to prevent production of LH , then the chances of pregnancy will decrease. It might be helpful for birth control.