Objective: To compare the percentage and ultrastructure of normal and abnormal granulosa cells and their effect on fertilization and pregnancy rate between gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist and antagonist treatment.
Materials and methods: In this study, granulosa cells obtained from 22 women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment due to unexplained infertility with either with GnRH agonist (n = 11) or GnRH antagonist (n = 11) were evaluated by light and electron microscopy.
Results: GnRH agonist and antagonist therapy was found to have no effect in terms of abnormal granulosa cell percentage (0.0679 ± 0.08977 vs 0.0481 ± 0.05164; p > 0.05), fertilization [85 (45-90) vs 75 (64-93)] and pregnancy rate (37% vs 46%). Light microscopic observations showed similar features of normal cells of agonist and antagonist-treated cells. Ultrastructural evaluation also revealed that there was no difference between cells of two treatment groups.
Conclusion: Both GnRH agonist and antagonist treatment for ovarian stimulation may have similar effects on granulosa cells at the morphological and ultrastructural level, as well as on fertilization and pregnancy rates.