Hormonal Regulation of Spermatogenesis in Male Mammals
Summary
The hormonal regulation of spermatogenesis in male mammals is orchestrated by the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis. The hypothalamus secretes gonadotropin‐releasing hormone in a pulsatile fashion, stimulating the anterior pituitary to release luteinizing hormone and follicle‐stimulating hormone. Luteinizing hormone acts on Leydig cells within the testicular interstitium to drive testosterone synthesis, while follicle‐stimulating hormone binds to its receptor on Sertoli cells, promoting germ cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. High intratesticular concentrations of testosterone have long been regarded as essential for meiotic progression and sperm maturation, yet emerging evidence indicates that minimal androgen levels may suffice when follicle‐stimulating hormone signalling is optimised. Sertoli cells integrate gonadotropin input and secrete paracrine factors that guide successive stages of spermatogonial renewal, meiosis and spermiogenesis. Feedback by testosterone and inhibin B ensures homeostatic control of sperm output.
Insights into this regulatory network carry profound implications for the treatment of male infertility, the design of hormonal contraceptives and the assessment of reproductive toxicity from environmental or metabolic perturbations. A refined understanding of hormone–receptor interactions and downstream signalling pathways informs selective breeding programmes in agriculture and strategies to safeguard wildlife from endocrine disruptors. Continued advances in molecular characterisation of key targets promise to enhance therapeutic approaches to hypogonadism and spermatogenic failure.
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Hormonal Regulation of Spermatogenesis in Male Mammals publication trend
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Technical terms
Spermatogenesis: The sequential process by which spermatogonial stem cells proliferate, undergo meiosis and differentiate into mature spermatozoa within seminiferous tubules.
Sertoli cell: A somatic cell type in the seminiferous epithelium that supports and regulates germ cell development through direct contact and paracrine signalling.
Leydig cell: An interstitial cell in the testis that synthesises testosterone in response to luteinizing hormone stimulation.
Follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH): A pituitary gonadotropin that promotes Sertoli cell function and the early phases of spermatogenesis.
Luteinizing hormone (LH): A pituitary gonadotropin that stimulates testosterone production by Leydig cells.
Gonadotropin: A hormone that acts on the gonads, encompassing luteinizing hormone and follicle‐stimulating hormone.
Intratesticular testosterone: The concentration of testosterone within the testicular microenvironment, critical for meiotic progression and sperm maturation.
References
- The Roles of Luteinizing Hormone, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Testosterone in Spermatogenesis and Folliculogenesis Revisited. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2021).
- Constitutively active follicle-stimulating hormone receptor enables androgen-independent spermatogenesis. Journal of Clinical Investigation (2018).
- Follicle-stimulating hormone signaling in Sertoli cells: a licence to the early stages of spermatogenesis. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology (2022).
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