ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is the primary hypothalamic regulator of reproductive function. e chemical structure of this compound was discovered in 1971 by a group of scientists in Andrew Schally’s laboratory in New Orleans aer they derived a small amount of GnRH from porcine hypothalami (1,2). Roger Guillemin then characterized and independently synthesized the hormone, and they both received the Nobel Prize for their achievements. GnRH is a decapeptide that is synthesized as part of a much larger precursor peptide, the GnRHassociated peptide. is peptide is composed of a sequence of 56 amino acids. e availability of the synthetic hormone for dynamic endocrine testing and receptor studies created new insights into the physiological role of GnRH in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (3).
