PITUITARY AND TESTICULAR RESPONSE TO HYPOTHALAMIC LH-RELEASING HORMONE (LH-RH) IN NORMAL AND OLIGOSPERMIC MEN

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 21  (2) , 96-102
Abstract
A comparative study was done of the basal and post LH-RH [luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone] stimulation levels of LH [luteinizing hormone], FSH [follicle stimulating hormone] and testosterone (T) in 10 healthy, male volunteers, aged 24-35 yr, and in 25 normogonadotropic oligospermic men aged 23-43 yr in whom other endocrine, urologic and/or vascular diseases had been ruled out. Of the latter group (17) underwent bilateral testicular biopsy. Each subject received rapid i.v. injection of 50 .mu.m synthetic LH-RH at 8:00 a.m. Serum levels of LH, FSH and T were determined by radioimmunoassay on samples obtained immediately before and 30 and 45 min after injection. As compared to normals, oligospermic men had a lower average LH response, although the basal values did not differ significantly from normal. FSH levels did not differ significantly between groups, although some individual patients showed higher and some lower than normal values. The possibility of stimulating T secretion with LH-RH was confirmed. Average serum T levels rose more slowly and reached lower levels in the oligospermic men than in normal men. There was no correlation between LH and FSH rises. It is postulated that some patients with normogonadotropic oligospermia may have latent insufficiency of pituitary gonadotropic functional reserve for one or both hormones and/or of the Leydig cell function. The need for individual analysis of results and their correlation with testicular biopsy findings is noted.

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