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The Relative Role of Gonadal Sex Steroids and Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Pulse Frequency in the Regulation of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Secretion in Men

Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine (N.P., A.A.D., S.D., P.A.B., W.F.C., F.J.H.), and the Department of Biostatistics and General Clinical Research Center (H.L.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Frances Hayes, M.B., F.R.C.P.I., Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114. E-mail: Hayes.Frances{at}MGH.Harvard.edu.

Objective: Our objective was to determine the importance of testosterone (T), estradiol (E₂), and GnRH pulse frequency to FSH regulation in men.

Design: This was a prospective study with four arms.

Setting: The study was performed at the General Clinical Research Center.

Patients or Other Participants: There were 20 normal (NL) men and 15 men with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) who completed the study.

Intervention: Medical castration and inhibition of aromatase were achieved using ketoconazole x 7 d with: 1) no sex steroid addback, 2) T addback starting on d 4, and 3) E₂ addback starting on d 4. IHH men in these arms received GnRH every 120 min. In a further six IHH men receiving ketoconazole with no addback, GnRH frequency was increased to 35 min for d 4–7. Blood was drawn every 10 min x 12 h at baseline, overnight on d 3–4 and 6–7.

Main Outcome Measures: Mean FSH was calculated from the pool of each frequent sampling study.

Results: In NL men FSH levels increased from 5.1 ± 0.7 to 8.7 ± 1.3 and 9.7 ± 1.5 IU/liter (P < 0.0001). T caused no suppression of FSH. E₂ reduced FSH from 12.4 ± 1.8 to 9.3 ± 1.3 IU/liter (P < 0.05). In IHH men on GnRH every 120 min, FSH levels went from 6.0 ± 1.6 to 9.0 ± 3.0 and 11.9 ± 4.3 (P = 0.07). T caused no suppression of FSH. E₂ decreased FSH such that levels on d 6–7 were similar to baseline. Increasing GnRH frequency to 35 min had no impact on FSH.

Conclusions: The sex steroid component of FSH negative feedback in men is mediated by E₂. Increasing GnRH frequency to castrate levels has no impact on FSH in the absence of sex steroids. When inhibin B levels are NL, sex steroids exert a modest effect on FSH.