HCG
Also known as hCG, Chorionic gonadotropin, Choriogonadotropin alfa
A placental glycoprotein hormone that activates the luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor. It is approved in reproductive medicine and studied for its roles in pregnancy, gonadal steroid production, and cancer biology.
Approved drug substance
Size
2 options- Catalog no.
- G10K
- Specification
- 10000IU*10vials
- Per kit
- 10 vials
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or animal consumption. Buyers must be 21 or older.
Overview
Human chorionic gonadotropin is a heterodimeric glycoprotein made mainly by placental syncytiotrophoblast cells. It shares its alpha subunit with LH, FSH, and TSH, while its beta subunit is closely related to LH-beta but carries an extended, heavily glycosylated C-terminal segment that lengthens its circulating half-life. Urinary and recombinant forms are approved for triggering final oocyte maturation in fertility treatment and for male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Researchers also study hCG variants, including hyperglycosylated hCG and the free beta subunit, which are produced during implantation and in some cancers.
Class: Glycoprotein hormone (LH/CG receptor agonist)
Mechanism of action
How the compound acts, as described in the literature.
Binds the LH/choriogonadotropin receptor (LHCGR), a G protein-coupled receptor that signals mainly through Gs and cAMP, mimicking LH with a longer duration of action.
In early pregnancy it maintains the corpus luteum and its progesterone production until the placenta takes over steroid synthesis.
In the testis it stimulates Leydig cells to produce testosterone; in men with suppressed gonadotropins, it maintained intratesticular testosterone in a dose-dependent manner (Coviello 2005).
Variants have distinct reported actions: hyperglycosylated hCG promotes trophoblast invasion, and the free beta subunit is produced by some non-trophoblastic cancers (Cole 2010).
Published research
Selected studies, each linked to its PubMed record. Summaries describe what the studies reported.
2010
Review
PMID 20735820Biological functions of hCG and hCG-related molecules.
Cole LA. · Reprod Biol Endocrinol
Reviews hCG and its variants: placental hCG and its pregnancy functions, hyperglycosylated hCG in implantation and choriocarcinoma, free beta subunit in non-trophoblastic cancers, and pituitary hCG during the menstrual cycle.
2005
RCT
PMID 15713727Low-dose human chorionic gonadotropin maintains intratesticular testosterone in normal men with testosterone-induced gonadotropin suppression.
Coviello AD, et al. · J Clin Endocrinol Metab
In 29 healthy men whose gonadotropins were suppressed by exogenous testosterone, added hCG raised intratesticular testosterone linearly with the amount given, keeping it near the normal range even at the lower levels tested.
2009
Clinical cohort study
PMID 19066302Induction of spermatogenesis and fertility during gonadotropin treatment of gonadotropin-deficient infertile men: predictors of fertility outcome.
Liu PY, et al. · J Clin Endocrinol Metab
Among 75 gonadotropin-deficient men treated with gonadotropins over 116 courses, 38 became fathers. Larger testis volume, prior gonadotropin treatment, and no prior androgen use predicted faster induction of spermatogenesis.
Evidence & safety
What the research does not show, and the adverse events and regulatory status it reports.
As an ovulation trigger in antagonist IVF cycles, hCG carried a higher risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome than GnRH-agonist triggering in a Cochrane review. A criteria-based meta-analysis found no evidence that hCG is effective for weight loss, and US labeling states it has not been shown to be effective for obesity. Studies in men, including the intratesticular testosterone trial, were small and short.
Specifications
All sizes, exactly as catalogued.
| Catalog no. | Product | Specification | Vials per kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| G10K | HCG | 10000IU*10vials | 10 |
| G5K | HCG | 5000IU*10vials | 10 |
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or animal consumption. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Research summaries are provided for educational purposes and do not describe this product’s use.