Reduced Intrafollicular Androstenedione and Estradiol Levels in Early-Treated Prenatally Androgenized Female Rhesus Monkeys Receiving Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Therapy for In Vitro Fertilization1

Five early-treated and four late-treated prenatally androge-nized and five normal female rhesus monkeys were studied to determine whether prenatal testosterone propionate exposure beginning Gestational Days 40–44 (early-treated) or 100–115 (late-treated) affects follicular steroidogenesis during recombi-nant human FSH (rhFSH) treatment. All monkeys underwent rhFSH injections, without human chorionic gonadotropin ad-ministration, followed by oocyte retrieval. Serum FSH, LH, es-tradiol (E2), progesterone (P), 17a-hydroxyprogesterone (17 OHP), androstenedione (A4), testosterone, and dihydrotestoster-one were measured basally during rhFSH therapy and at oocyte retrieval. Follicle fluid (FF) sex steroids, oocyte fertilization, and embryo development were analyzed. Circulating FSH, E2, 17 OHP, A4, and dihydrotestosterone levels increased similarly i