1. A method of combined treatment for stimulating follicular development and ovulation induction in a female host comprising:
(a) administering an agent which increases follicle stimulating hormone concentrations in the host during the follicular phase of the host’s ovulatory cycle; and
(b) administering an inhibitor of a phosphodiesterase 4 isoform to the host prior to the luteal phase of the host’s ovulatory cycle.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the agent is follicle stimulating hormone.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein luteinizing hormone is also administered to the host to induce ovulation prior to the luteal phase of the host’s ovulatory cycle.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein luteinizing hormone is also administered at reduced concentrations compared to existing regimens to the host to induce ovulation prior to the luteal phase of the host’s ovulatory cycle.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein chorionic gonadotropin is also administered to the host to induce ovulation prior to the luteal phase of the host’s ovulatory cycle.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein chorionic gonadotropin is also administered at reduced concentrations compared to existing regimens to the host to induce ovulation prior to the luteal phase of the host’s ovulatory cycle.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-2 (canceled)
3. An AGONIST or an ANTAGONIST of XOBESIN activity.
4. The AGONIST or the ANTAGONIST of claim 3, wherein said activity is selected from the group consisting of lipid partitioning, lipid metabolism, insulin-like activity, free fatty acid oxidation, and weight reduction.
5. A pharmaceutical or physiologically acceptable composition comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of the AGONIST or the ANTAGONIST of claim 3.
6. A method of preventing or treating an obesity-related disease or disorder comprising providing or administering to an individual in need of such treatment the composition of claim 5.
7. A method of screening of a candidate substance for interaction with a polypeptide comprising XOBESIN extracellular domain, said method comprising the following steps:
a) providing said polypeptide comprising XOBESIN extracellular domain;
b) obtaining a candidate substance;
c) bringing into contact said polypeptide with said candidate substance;
d) detecting the complexes formed between said polypeptide and said candidate substance.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said candidate substance is an AGONIST or ANTAGONIST of XOBESIN activity.
9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said detecting step comprises assaying the activity or expression of the XOBESIN polypeptide.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said activity is selected from the group consisting of lipid partitioning, lipid metabolism, insulin-like activity, free fatty acid oxidation, and weight reduction.
11. The method according to claim 8, wherein said candidate substance is an AGONIST.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said AGONIST is a composition consisting essentially of self-assembling homotrimers comprising gAPM1, gC2P, gZADJ2 or gZADJ-7 fragments.