Relevance of serum ascorbic acid status in ovulation and pregnancy outcome of non-PCOS women undergoing intrauterine insemination cycles

Ovulation is an important process for successful conception in intra-uterine insemination (IUI) cycles. The ovulatory process is initiated by an E2 induced LH surge causes a series of dramatic physiological and biochemical alterations in the ovary leading to follicle rupture and oocyte release. Ascorbic acid (AA) has implicated in the process of ovulation and folliculogenesis. Also its altered levels have been correlated to luteal-steroidogenesis. Hence, the study attempts to carry out an inter-phasic comparison of various hormones and AA between the early follicular, periovulatory and luteal-phases in non-PCOS women during IUI-cycle so as to obtain a cogent view about their implications in ovulatory process and subsequent pregnancy-outcome. AA level is found to be at its nadir in the ovulatory phase while LH level is at its zenith. The utilization of AA in the ovulatory phase is seen to hold the key for future course of events i.e. synthesis of 17-OHP and E2, leading to pregnancy. A significant decrease was observed in the serum-AA levels from follicular to ovulatory phase within the pregnant group but not in the non-pregnant ones. Thus, serum ascorbic-acid seems to have a prominent bearing for ovulation and pregnancy outcome in non-PCOS women undergoing IUI-cycles.