The importance of follicle-stimulating hormone in the prepubertal and pubertal testis

Abstract

Although the attention of testis function in puberty and adulthood has been focalized in the luteinizing hormone–testosterone axis, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) also exerts a fundamental role in the physiology of the prepubertal and pubertal testes. Different conditions in humans that selectively affect the FSH–Sertoli cell axis illustrate the relevance of FSH and Sertoli cells, especially in two fundamental periods of life: the first months after birth and the beginning of puberty. Achieving an adequate size of the Sertoli cell population, a largely FSH-dependent process is essential for an effective spermatogenesis in puberty and adulthood. Sertoli cell markers, such as anti-Müllerian hormone and inhibin B, indirectly reflect FSH action and have become critical tools for the assessment of the male hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis from birth to adulthood.