A3 Refereed book chapter or chapter in a compilation book
Testosterone and Spermatogenesis
Authors: Toppari, Jorma
Editors: Barry Zirkin, Ilpo Huhtaniemi, Dolores J. Lamb, Vassilios Papadopoulos
Publication year: 2025
Book title : Leydig Cells : Formation, Regulation and Function in Health and Disease
First page : 375
Last page: 383
ISBN: 978-3-031-96375-9
eISBN: 978-3-031-96376-6
DOI: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-96376-6_13
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: No Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : No Open Access publication channel
Spermatogenesis is regulated by hormones. Pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) act on testicular Sertoli cells and Leydig cells, respectively, to stimulate their proliferation and function. Leydig cell-derived testosterone stimulates and maintains spermatogenesis by acting on Sertoli cells together with FSH. Without testosterone, spermatogenesis is arrested in meiosis and only few haploid spermatids develop, unless the man has an activating FSH receptor (R) mutation. Men with inactivating FSHR mutations produce only low numbers of sperm. Depending on remaining functional activity, androgen receptor defects lead to azoospermia or oligozoospermia. Androgen receptors are expressed only in the somatic cells of the testis, and therefore, androgen-dependent germ cell development is governed by the cooperation of Leydig cells, peritubular myoid cells, and Sertoli cells.