Chorionic Gonadotropin beta, Human (HCG, beta)

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a peptide hormoneproduced in pregnancy, that is made by the embryosoon after conceptionand later by the syncytiotrophoblast(part of the placenta). Its role is to prevent the disintegration of the corpus luteumof the ovaryand thereby maintain progesteroneproduction that is critical for a pregnancyin humans. hCG may have additional functions, for instance it is thought that it affects the immune tolerance of the pregnancy. Early pregnancy testinggenerally is based on the detection or measurement of hCG.

Source:
Chorionic gonadotropin from a sterile preparation of placental glucoprotein urine of post- menopausal women.

Activity:
~5000IU/mg (IRP reference preparation 75/551).

Protein Content:
Protein quantitation was carried out by two independent methods:
1. UV spectroscopy at 280nm using the absorbency value of 1.06 as the extinction coefficient for a 0.1% (1mg/ml) solution.
2. Analysis by RP- HPLC, using a standard solution of hCG as a reference standard.

Storage and Stability:
Lyophilized powder may be stored at -20°C. Reconstitute with sterile ddH2O. Aliquot to avoid repeated freezing and thawing. Store at -20°C. Reconstituted product is stable for 6 months at -20°C. For maximum recovery of product, centrifuge the original vial after thawing and prior to removing the cap. Further dilutions can be made in assay buffer.