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The corpus luteum (Latin for "yellow body"; pl.: corpora lutea) is a temporary endocrine structure in female ovaries involved in the production of relatively high levels of progesterone, and moderate levels of estradiol, and inhibin A.
In domestic animals, luteolysis is initiated by the hormones prostaglandin F2alpha and oxytocin and is dependent on the presence of the uterus. In sheep, communication between the pars nervosa (posterior lobe of the pituitary gland), corpus luteum, and the uterus endometrium via the circulatory system is required for luteolysis.
Levels of progesterone and estrogen rise continually throughout pregnancy, suppressing the hypothalamic axis and subsequently the menstrual cycle. The progesterone is first produced by the corpus luteum and then by the placenta in the second trimester.
Human ovary with developed corpus luteum. Maternal recognition of pregnancy is a crucial aspect of carrying a pregnancy to full term. Without maternal recognition to maintain pregnancy, the initial messengers which stop luteolysis and promote foetal implantation, growth and uterine development finish with nothing to replace them and the pregnancy is lost.
The corpus luteum relies on LH activation on its receptors in order to survive. The loss of the corpus luteum can be prevented by implantation of an embryo : after implantation, human embryos produce human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), [ 5 ] which is structurally similar to LH and can preserve the corpus luteum.
Inhibin, which is also secreted by the corpus luteum, contributes to FSH inhibition. Progesterone, secreted by the corpus luteum, inhibits the follicular growth and maintains the pregnancy. The endocrine system coincides with the menstrual cycle and goes through thirteen cycles (and thus thirteen LH spikes) during the course of normal ...
The corpus luteum produces the 6-kDa peptide hormone relaxin. [20] Prolactin and insulin-like growth factor binding protein are two examples of the hormones and growth factors that relaxin can stimulate the secretion of. [21]
Luteal support is the administration of medication, generally progesterone, progestins, hCG or GnRH agonists, to increase the success rate of implantation and early embryogenesis, thereby complementing and/or supporting the function of the corpus luteum. It can be combined with for example in vitro fertilization and ovulation induction.