Immunoaffinity adsorption techniques, utilizing specific antisera for hCG and its subunits bound to Sepharose 4B, have been employed to separate hCG alpha beta dimer and free subunits of hCG. As previously reported by this and a number of other laboratories, trophoblast cells (in vivo and in vitro) produce free alpha subunit in addition to hCG dimer. We have now shown that cultured JAr choriocarcinoma cells also secrete free beta subunit: 37% of the total beta subunit (combined and free) secreted by JAr cells is in the free form. Moreover, in pooled sera from choriocarcinoma patients 15% of total beta subunit is free, and in media from placental explant cultures and in pooled first trimester pregnancy sera 11% and 6.5%, respectively, of total beta subunit are in the free form. The free beta s are all of similar mol wt to the combined forms, and associate with urinary hCG alpha to form hCG. Free alpha s, which are larger than the combined forms, are unable to associate with urinary hCG beta to form hCG. We propose that the supply of combinable alpha subunit, rather than beta, limits dimer formation.

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The hypothesis is tested that luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH( may be released from the anterior pituitary in response to a psychological state of sexual arousal. LH levels in 10 male volunteers were found to be higher after viewing a sexually arousing film than after a control film. The magnitude of LH response was found to be positively correlated with the subjective evaluation of sexual arousal. FSH levels tended in the same direction bu the predominant and unexpected finding for this hormone was that levels were consistently lower during the first session, when anxiety was high, and higher during the second session, when anxiety was less, whether control or stimulus film had been shown. This study is analogous to those demonstrating the responsiveness of other anterior pituitary hormones to specific psychological states.