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Home/Hormone & Reproductive/HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin)

HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin)

Placental glycoprotein hormone with LH-like activity; an established clinical agent in fertility treatment and gonadotropin research.

Overview

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a glycoprotein hormone composed of an alpha subunit shared with LH, FSH, and TSH and a unique beta subunit. It is produced by the placenta during pregnancy and is also used clinically: pharmaceutical hCG (derived from urine or produced recombinantly) acts like luteinizing hormone and is an established agent in fertility medicine. In research and bodybuilding contexts it is sometimes discussed for its effects on testicular steroidogenesis, an off-label use with limited supporting data.

Mechanism

hCG binds the LH/CG receptor on gonadal cells, stimulating steroid production. In women it triggers final oocyte maturation and ovulation and supports the corpus luteum; in men it stimulates testicular Leydig cells to produce testosterone, which is why it is used to maintain testicular function during gonadotropin-suppressive therapies. Because hCG is cleared more slowly than LH, a single well-timed injection can substitute for the mid-cycle LH surge in fertility protocols, and hCG measurement remains the standard biochemical marker of pregnancy, a role distinct from its pharmaceutical uses.

Dosing

Clinical dosing is indication-specific and defined in approved product labeling: fertility protocols commonly use a single larger injection to trigger ovulation after follicle maturation, while men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism receive small repeated doses together with FSH. Research protocols mirror these categories; figures should come from the labeling or primary literature.

Expected Effects

  • ovulation trigger and luteal support in assisted reproduction (established clinical use)
  • stimulation of testicular testosterone production
  • maintenance of spermatogenesis when combined with FSH in hypogonadotropic men

Side Effects & Tolerability

Clinical use is associated with injection-site reactions, headache, and fatigue; ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is a recognized risk in fertility dosing. In men, high or prolonged doses can raise estradiol levels. Use of unregulated products carries contamination and potency risks.

Storage

Pharmaceutical hCG is supplied as lyophilized powder with a diluent; it should be stored per the label (typically refrigerated) and reconstituted solutions used within the labeled period.

Related peptides

Androstadienone Peptide AnalogsListing for peptide analogs of a steroid human chemosignal; no such compounds are described in the scientific literature.Feedback Inhibitor Peptides (FIP)Catalog category of peptides claimed to regulate endocrine feedback loops; no standardized compounds are established under this name.GnRH Agonist Analogs (Expanded)Catalog grouping for clinically established GnRH agonist peptide drugs such as leuprolide, goserelin, triptorelin, and buserelin.GonadorelinSynthetic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) decapeptide, the hypothalamic trigger for LH and FSH secretion; used in diagnostics and research.HMG (Human Menopausal Gonadotropin)Purified urinary gonadotropin preparation (menotropin) containing FSH and LH activity; an established agent in fertility treatment.Hypothalamic-Pituitary Master Regulator AnalogsPromotional catalog category combining axis-level terms; no fixed composition or peer-reviewed identity.