Research use only — not for human or veterinary use
HMG For Sale — Human Menopausal Gonadotropin Research Vials
HMG, human menopausal gonadotropin or menotropin, is a preparation containing both follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone activity. Unlike the synthetic peptides elsewhere in our catalogue it is a glycoprotein-based material, which changes almost everything about how it should be handled: glycosylation state affects activity, the molecules are far larger, and heat and shear are considerably more damaging. It is supplied as a research article for in vitro gonadotropin-pathway work — not for human or veterinary use, and not for any fertility application.
HMG Research Vial
One presentation. Because gonadotropin activity is expressed in international units rather than mass alone, check the product page for the current lot's stated activity.
| Option | Format | Suited to | Product page |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMG research vial | Lyophilized glycoprotein preparation, single research vial | Gonadotropin receptor signalling and comparative endocrine research | View HMG research vial → |
What Is HMG?
Human menopausal gonadotropin is a purified preparation containing gonadotropin activity in both the FSH and LH arms. It is not a synthetic peptide: the active constituents are glycoprotein hormones, each consisting of a shared alpha subunit paired with a hormone-specific beta subunit, and each carrying substantial N-linked carbohydrate.
That carbohydrate is functionally significant. Glycosylation influences receptor binding, circulating half-life, and stability, which is why gonadotropin preparations are standardised by biological activity in international units rather than by protein mass alone. Two vials with identical protein content can differ in activity if their glycoform distributions differ.
For a laboratory this means HMG must be treated as a biological preparation rather than as a defined chemical. Lot-to-lot comparison requires activity data, and any study design that spans more than one lot needs a bridging control to establish equivalence.
Gonadotropin Receptor Signalling
FSH acts at the FSH receptor and LH at the LH/choriogonadotropin receptor. Both are class A GPCRs with large extracellular domains that couple predominantly to Gs, raising intracellular cyclic AMP and activating protein kinase A. In granulosa and Leydig cell models the standard readouts are cAMP accumulation and downstream steroidogenic gene expression.
Because HMG carries both activities, an observed response in a mixed-receptor system cannot be attributed to one arm without additional controls. Recombinant single-hormone preparations, receptor-selective antagonists, or receptor-restricted cell lines are all used for that purpose, and a design lacking any of them will produce ambiguous data.
Gonadorelin and hCG appear frequently in the same literature and are commonly confused with HMG. Gonadorelin acts upstream at the GnRH receptor; hCG acts at the LH receptor with a longer profile. The three occupy different positions in the axis and are not interchangeable.
Research Applications
In vitro applications concentrate on granulosa and Leydig cell culture: cAMP accumulation assays, steroidogenic enzyme expression by quantitative PCR, and steroid output measured by immunoassay or mass spectrometry. HMG is typically the combined-activity arm against recombinant FSH and LH single-arm controls.
Analytical and quality-control laboratories use gonadotropin preparations in bioassay development, where the challenge is establishing a potency assay that tracks biological activity rather than protein content. This is a genuinely difficult analytical problem and a legitimate research use in its own right.
Comparative endocrine panels place HMG alongside gonadorelin, hCG and kisspeptin to map the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis across its levels. Because the compounds act at different points in the axis, such panels are about pathway position rather than relative potency.
- Granulosa and Leydig cell cAMP and steroidogenesis assays
- Comparative arms against recombinant FSH and LH
- Potency bioassay development for glycoprotein hormones
- HPG-axis mapping panels with gonadorelin, hCG and kisspeptin
Why Glycoprotein Preparations Need Different Handling
Synthetic peptides tolerate a lot: freezing, brief warming, moderate agitation. Glycoproteins do not. They denature at temperatures that a small peptide would shrug off, they lose activity at air-liquid interfaces, and shear from vortexing or forceful pipetting causes measurable potency loss that no visual inspection will reveal.
Storage is also different. Where most of our catalogue is stored frozen, gonadotropin preparations are typically held refrigerated in the sealed lyophilized state, and freeze-thaw cycling of reconstituted material is discouraged outright rather than merely minimised.
The practical rule is that activity loss in a glycoprotein preparation is silent. A degraded synthetic peptide often shows visibly — cloudiness, incomplete dissolution — whereas a gonadotropin preparation that has lost half its activity looks identical to one that has not. Handling discipline is the only defence, since routine in-house verification is impractical for most laboratories.
Storage and Reconstitution
Keep sealed vials refrigerated at 2–8 °C and protected from light. Do not freeze reconstituted material unless a validated protocol specifically calls for it, and never leave vials at room temperature longer than the brief equilibration needed before opening.
Reconstitute with the diluent specified for the lot, added slowly down the vial wall, and rotate the vial gently until dissolved. Never vortex and never shake. Dissolution should be complete without agitation; if it is not, the material's storage history should be questioned before it enters a study.
Use reconstituted material promptly — hours rather than days — and prepare working dilutions immediately before the assay. Carrier protein in the diluent is common practice for glycoprotein hormones at low concentrations, because adsorption losses to tube surfaces are otherwise significant.
Material Specifications
- Product
- HMG (human menopausal gonadotropin, menotropin)
- Activity
- Combined FSH and LH activity
- Class
- Glycoprotein hormone preparation
- Receptors
- FSH receptor and LH/choriogonadotropin receptor (class A GPCRs)
- Appearance
- White to off-white lyophilized cake
- Storage
- Refrigerated 2–8 °C sealed; reconstituted 2–8 °C, short window
- Handling
- Heat- and shear-sensitive; never vortex
- Use
- In vitro laboratory research only
Purity, Testing & Certificates of Analysis
HMG is a glycoprotein preparation, so its release documentation differs from the synthetic peptides elsewhere in the catalogue. Activity is the primary specification, expressed in international units for the FSH and LH arms, because protein mass alone does not determine biological potency in a glycosylated hormone.
Appearance, reconstitution behaviour and clarity are recorded at release because activity loss in a glycoprotein is silent — a degraded preparation looks identical to an intact one, so process discipline and documentation carry more of the assurance burden than they do for a defined peptide.
Every shipment references a dated, lot-specific Certificate of Analysis. Because lot-to-lot glycoform variation is inherent to preparations of this type, studies spanning more than one lot should include a bridging control rather than assuming equivalence from the certificate alone.
Research FAQ
What is HMG?
HMG, or human menopausal gonadotropin, is a purified preparation containing both follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone activity. Its active constituents are glycoprotein hormones rather than synthetic peptides, which is why it is standardised by biological activity in international units rather than by protein mass.
What is HMG used for in laboratory research?
It is used as the combined-gonadotropin arm in in vitro endocrine research: granulosa and Leydig cell cAMP and steroidogenesis assays, potency bioassay development for glycoprotein hormones, and HPG-axis mapping panels. It is not supplied for human or veterinary use and not for any fertility application.
How is HMG different from hCG and gonadorelin?
They act at different points in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Gonadorelin acts upstream at the GnRH receptor; hCG acts at the LH receptor with a longer profile; HMG carries both FSH and LH activity. They are frequently confused in the literature but are not interchangeable research articles.
Why is HMG handled differently from synthetic peptides?
It is a glycoprotein preparation. Glycoproteins denature at temperatures small peptides tolerate, lose activity at air-liquid interfaces, and are damaged by shear from vortexing or forceful pipetting. Sealed vials are stored refrigerated rather than frozen, and freeze-thaw cycling of reconstituted material is discouraged outright.
Why is HMG measured in international units?
Because glycosylation influences receptor binding and stability, two preparations with identical protein content can differ in biological potency if their glycoform distributions differ. Standardising by activity rather than mass is the only way to make lots comparable.
Can HMG activity loss be detected visually?
No, and that is the main handling risk. A degraded synthetic peptide often shows cloudiness or incomplete dissolution, whereas a gonadotropin preparation that has lost substantial activity looks identical to an intact one. Handling discipline and documented storage history are the practical defence.
How should HMG be reconstituted?
Use the diluent specified for the lot, add it slowly down the vial wall, and rotate gently until dissolved — never vortex or shake. Use the reconstituted material within hours rather than days, and prepare working dilutions immediately before the assay, typically with carrier protein to limit adsorption losses.
Is HMG supplied for fertility use?
No. HMG is supplied strictly as a research article for qualified in vitro laboratory work. It is not a medicine, is not for human or veterinary administration, and is not supplied for any fertility, clinical, or therapeutic application. We provide no dosing or protocol guidance.
Research Resources
All products listed are supplied strictly for in vitro laboratory research by qualified professionals. Not for human or veterinary use. We do not provide dosing guidance or therapeutic recommendations, and nothing on this page describes a diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any condition.