In men, LH stimulates testosterone production from the interstitial cells of the testes (Leydig cells). FSH stimulates testicular growth and enhances the production of an androgen-binding protein by the Sertoli cells, which are a component of the testicular tubule necessary for sustaining the maturing sperm cell.
FSH stimulates sperm production. LH is responsible for the production of testosterone.
Often, testosterone therapy is given to men with high FSH levels, since high FSH can lead to low testosterone; this can help increase fertility in these men. In other cases, treating the underlying cause of the abnormal FSH levels will correct the problem.
It is also known as hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism due to low levels of LH and FSH resulting in decreased testosterone production. Secondary hypogonadism often occurs as part of a wider syndrome of hypopituitarism. Examples of causes can include: pituitary tumours and their treatment.
LH stimulates your testes to make testosterone, a hormone your body needs to produce sperm. Testosterone is also responsible for secondary sex characteristics, like a deeper voice and more body hair and muscle mass.
Serum FSH levels suppressed significantly to 60–70% of baseline values in all four subjects. These results suggest that testosterone may have some part in the control of serum FSH as well as LH levels in normal males.
Testosterone selectively increases serum follicle-stimulating hormonal (FSH) but not luteinizing hormone (LH) in gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist-treated male rats: evidence for differential regulation of LH and FSH secretion.
High levels of testosterone inhibit ovarian follicle development by repressing the FSH signaling pathway.
Too much or too little FSH can cause a variety of problems, including infertility (the inability to get pregnant), menstrual difficulties in women, low sex drive in men, and early or delayed puberty in children.
FSH causes ovarian follicles to enlarge and produce estrogen. Over time, fewer and fewer follicles remain to be stimulated and thus estrogen levels decline as a woman ages. This decline in estrogen leads to an increase in FSH as there is not enough estrogen being produced to "turn off" the brain's production of FSH.
Sometimes, elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels are measured to confirm menopause. When a woman's FSH blood level is consistently elevated to 30 mIU/mL or higher, and she has not had a menstrual period for a year, it is generally accepted that she has reached menopause.
As well as growing the ovarian follicles, FSH stimulates the granulosa cells that surround the follicle to produce oestrogen, an essential hormone for regulating the menstrual cycle (1).
Less than 10: This is the ideal FSH range, especially if you are planning on doing fertility treatments. 10-15: FSH levels are a little too high. While they may not impact natural conception, these levels may predict poor response to fertility medications. 15-25: FSH levels are elevated.
The FSH level is actually fairly easy to lower medically (with estrogen, the birth control pill, Lupron, etc.), but the underlying problem (diminished ovarian reserve) that causes the elevated FSH cannot necessarily be “fixed.”
Using donor eggs for IVF is an extremely effective treatment for patients with high FSH levels, and it is much more common that you think. Babies conceived with donor eggs have brought untold joy to so many families who would otherwise never have been able to get pregnant.
Women, when they undergo menopause, lose bone and gain body fat. FSH, which rises at menopause, could be responsible for the weight gain and bone loss that many women experience in their middle ages.
High levels of daily pressure have been associated with a decrease in the levels of estrogen, progesterone and luteinizing hormone (LH), as well as with high levels of the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).
FSH secretion is suppressed by negative feedback of the ovarian hormones estradiol, inhibin, and progesterone during the early and midluteal phase.
Ghrelin Suppresses Secretion of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) in Women.
For example, the gonads secrete at least two additional hormones - inhibin and activin - which selectively inhibit and activate FSH secretion from the pituitary.
The patient has primary hypogonadism if his serum testosterone concentration and/or sperm count are low and/or his serum LH and FSH concentrations are high.
If you are male, abnormally high LH levels along with low levels of testosterone may mean that your testicles aren't responding to LH's signal to make more testosterone. Low levels of LH may mean that your pituitary gland isn't making enough LH. That can lead to too little testosterone production.
A normal FSH and estradiol level indicate that you have a good ovarian reserve. It's also useful to check your FSH:LH ratio. A normal FSH:LH ratio is 1. However, if your FSH level is much higher than your LH level, then this suggests poor ovarian reserve.