NCT05531357

Physiologic Mechanisms Underlying Ovarian Follicular Waves During the Menstrual Cycle

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 50 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Saskatchewan · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The research aims to characterize changes in ovarian and pituitary hormones associated with the development of ovarian follicular waves during the human menstrual cycle.

Detailed description

Our laboratory's previous research has demonstrated that multiple waves of ovarian follicles develop throughout the menstrual cycle. Approximately 2/3 of women develop 2 follicle waves throughout their cycle while the remainder exhibit 3 waves of follicle growth (1,2). This study is to follow up on those findings to determine how pituitary and ovarian hormones regulate the development of follicle waves in women, with a combination of ultrasound scans and blood and urine sampling to characterize how follicles grow during the menstrual cycle in 50 women of reproductive age. Changes in follicle growth across the cycle will be compared with changes in hormone production. The new findings will be essential for improving understanding of female reproduction, with clinical applications in contraception, fertility and menopausal care for women across their reproductive lifespan.

Conditions

• Reproductive Issues

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIAGNOSTIC_TEST	Transvaginal ultrasound scans	Transvaginal ultrasound scans to map ovarian follicle growth and ovulation, finger-prick blood sampling for dried blood spot (DBS) hormonal assays and urine sampling for hormone metabolites, every consecutive day for an interovulatory interval. Weekly venipuncture samples will be taken for standard ELISA hormonal assays. The hormones of interest are FSH, LH, estradiol, progesterone, AMH, inhibins A and B, GDF-9 and BMP-15.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-09-17
• Primary completion: 2024-03-26
• Completion: 2024-03-26
• First posted: 2022-09-07
• Last updated: 2024-05-17

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada