Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Purposes</jats:title><jats:p>It is sometimes difficult to restore a regular ovulatory cycle in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) using classic agents such as clomiphene citrate or gonadotropins. Saireito, a herbal medicine, is believed to have an effect similar to corticosteroids. We examined the effect of Saireito on ovulatory induction and endocrine status in women with PCOS.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Twenty‐four women with PCOS were treated with Saireito for 3 months. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (PRL), testosterone (T), estradiol (E<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and cortisol were measured before and after treatment, and ovulation was assessed. We compared serum LH levels between ovulation (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 21) and anovulation (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 3) groups, and compared ovulation rate and serum LH levels between obese (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 6) and nonobese (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 18) groups.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Ovulation was restored in 21 (87.5%) of the 24 PCOS patients following administration of Saireito for 3 months. LH levels were significantly decreased 1 month after medication in ovulatory group (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < 0.001), but only slightly decreased in anovulatory group. Ovulation rate in the nonobese group (94.4%) was higher than in the obese group (66.7%). Serum LH levels were significantly reduced in the nonobese group, but only slightly reduced in the obese group.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Saireito reduced serum LH levels and increased ovulatory rate, particularly in nonobese women.</jats:p></jats:sec>