The physiology of testicular inhibin and related proteins

The roles of inhibin and related proteins in the male remain unclear, although it is becoming increasingly evident that they play a part in FSH regulation and testicular function, including spermatogenesis. The difficulties associated with these questions have been the limited availability of inhibin and related proteins for in vivo studies, the absence of specific assay methods, and the unclear relationship of inhibin and testosterone in the regulation of FSH secretion. With the availability of human recombinant preparations and the current development of new assays, it is anticipated that many of these questions will be resolved.