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Pituitary Downregulation

Meaning

Pituitary downregulation is a specific pharmacological or physiological process where the responsiveness of the pituitary gland to its upstream hypothalamic stimulating hormones is intentionally diminished or suppressed. Clinically, this is most often achieved by the continuous, non-pulsatile administration of a Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) agonist, which initially stimulates but subsequently desensitizes the pituitary GnRH receptors. The therapeutic outcome is a controlled, reversible suppression of downstream gonadotropin release, specifically Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH).