In vitro fertilization versus conversion to intrauterine insemination in Bologna-criteria poor responders: how to decide which option?

Objective: To compare the continuation of in vitro fertilization (IVF) with the conversion to intrauterine insemination (IUI) in cases of suboptimal ovarian response in Bologna-criteria poor responders.

Design: Retrospective and multicenter comparative study.

Setting: Three academic fertility centers and a fertility private clinic.

The permissive role of prolactin as a regulator of luteinizing hormone action in the female mouse ovary and extragonadal tumorigenesis.

Transgenic female mice overexpressing the hCGβ subunit (hCGβ(+)) and producing elevated levels of luteinizing hormone (LH)/hCG bioactivity present as young adults with enhanced ovarian steroidogenesis, precocious puberty, and infertility. They subsequently develop pituitary prolactinomas, high circulating prolactin (PRL) levels, and marked mammary gland lobuloalveolar development followed by adenocarcinomas. None of these phenotypes appear in gonadectomized mice, indicating that the hCG-induced aberrations of ovarian function are responsible for the extragonadal phenotypes.