FSH: II. Evidence for its mediating role on testosterone secretion in hypopituitarism

Testicular responses to administration of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) in 23 hypopituitary patients were compared to responses obtained in adequate control groups and correlated to basal plasma follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. Sixteen nonpubertal patients demonstrated a significantly diminished testosterone response (250 +/- 64 ng/100 ml, mean +/- SEM) along with low basal plasma FSH values (1.4 +/- 0.2 mU/ml) when compared to normal response (607 +/- 97 ng/100 ml) and normal FSH level (2.3 +/- 0.2 mU/ml), but with normal LH values. In 7 pubertal patients decreased testosterone responses to HCG (815 +/- 147 ng/100 ml) were observed with normal plasma FSH and LH values. Correlation between testosterone responses and FSH levels (r - 0.718, P less than 0.002) in the pre-pubertal hypopituitary patients was highly significant. No such correlation was observed between testosterone response and LH. The represent findings may a) give one explanation for the absence of response to HCG observed in some cases of hypopituitarism, b) give support to the hypothesis that FSH has a mediating role on LH-induced secretion of testosterone by the testis in human subjects.