HCG
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
The LH analog.
Half-life
~ 24–36 hours
Mol. weight
36,700 g/mol (approx, glycoprotein)
Sequence
Glycoprotein (shared alpha + unique beta subunits)
Discussions
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Overview
A glycoprotein hormone produced in pregnancy that closely mimics luteinizing hormone (LH) and binds the LH receptor to stimulate testosterone production in the testes (or progesterone in the ovaries). Used clinically in fertility therapy and sometimes alongside testosterone therapy to maintain gonadal function, since exogenous testosterone otherwise suppresses the LH that keeps the testes working.
Mechanism of action
HCG is structurally similar to LH and binds the LH receptor on Leydig cells of the testes, stimulating endogenous testosterone production. (In the ovaries, the same receptor drives progesterone and supports the corpus luteum.) That LH-mimicry is why it's used in fertility therapy to trigger ovulation and in male hormone management to stimulate or preserve testicular testosterone output when natural LH is suppressed — for example, during testosterone replacement, exogenous T shuts down LH, and HCG can substitute for the missing signal.
Researched benefits
- Stimulates natural testosterone production
- Used in fertility therapy (ovulation induction)
- Supports gonadal function when LH is suppressed
Considerations
- Prescription medication
- Can disrupt hormone balance if misused
- Medical supervision essential
Key Academic Literature & Studies
Search more in PubMedPeer-reviewed citations and clinical trials evaluating HCG in scientific literature.
Query PubMed for recent peer-reviewed preclinical and clinical publications on HCG:
View HCG index on PubMed (NCBI)