Lecture 30: Hormone control of male and female reproduction Flashcards
Describe the hormone control of reproduction
GnRH from the hypothalamus causes the release of FSH and LH from the anterior pituitary gland
What is the target organ for LH and FSH?
the gonads
LH and FSH act together to affect what two processes?
gametogenesis
steroidogenesis
What is gametogenesis (specific to males and females)?
sperm production in the testes and ova development in the ovary
What is steroidgenesis?
hormone production
What are the two male hormones produced?
testosterone and inhibin
What are the three female hormones produced?
estrogen, progesterone and inhibin
What does HPG stand for?
hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal
Describe the HPG axis
There are GnRH neurons in the hypothalamus which project to the ME where they terminate. Here they release GnRH which stimulates the release of LH/FSH from the anterior pituitary gland. These act on the gonads and cause them to release estrogen, progesterone and testosterone
Do the hormones released from the gonads cause positive or negative feedback to the hypothalamus?
it depends
In what way is GnRH released?
in a pulsatile way
Inside the scrotum, there is what two things?
the seminiferous tubules and the interstitium
What percentage of the scrotum is made up of seminiferous tubules?
80%
What percent of the scrotum is made up of the interstitium?
20%
What is in the interstitium?
Leydig cells
What is the main role of the Leydig cells?
to produce testosterone
What is the main role of the seminiferous tubules?
to produce sperm
What the support/nursing cell in the seminiferous tubules?
the Sertoli cells
The sperm are produced in the seminiferous tubules and stored where?
in the epididymis
Describe the process of sperm production
There is a precursor (spermatogonium) which differentiates and matured into a spermatocyte, spermatid and spermatozoa
In the hormonal control of male reproduction, which hormone is released from the hypothalamus?
GnRH
In the hormonal control of male reproduction, GnRH is released from the hypothalamus and stimulates the release of what from the anterior pituitary gland?
LH and FSH
In the hormonal control of male reproduction, what does FSH do?
this acts on the Sertoli cells to stimulate the release of inhibin and to stimulate spermatogenesis
In the hormonal control of male reproduction, what does LH do? What is the effect of this?
this acts on the Leydig cells and causes them to release testosterone which acts locally on the sertoli cells and enters the blood
What is the effect of inhibin?
this acts in a short negative feedback loop to stop the release of FSH from the anterior pituitary gland
What is the effect of testosterone?
- it locally affects the ____________ cells
- it is causes a response to testosterone from the ___________ ____________ and other ___________
- it acts in both a ___________ negative feedback loop to to the release of ___________ from the anterior pituitary gland, and a long negative feedback loop to stop the release of _____________ from the ______________
- it locally affects the Sertoli cells
- it is causes a response to testosterone from the reproductive tract and other organs
- it acts in both a short negative feedback loop to to the release of LH from the anterior pituitary gland, and a long negative feedback loop to stop the release of GnRH from the hypothalamus
Describe how LH affects the Leydig cells
LH binds to the LH receptor on the Leydig cells and activates a G-protein. There is activation of cAMP which activates PKA and this causes new proteins to be synthesised. This produces new enzymes to be formed that can convert cholesterol to testosterone (in the Leydig cells)
Where does the testosterone produced in the Leydig cells go?
it can to the the seminiferous tubules to the Sertoli cells
Describe how FSH affects the Sertoli cells
FSH binds to the FSH receptor on the Sertoli cells which activates a G-protein. There is activation of cAMP which activates PKA and this causes new proteins to be synthesised. This produces things like inhibins, ABPs, growth factors and aromatase
What is important about aromatase that is produced by Sertoli cells?
They convert the testosterone from the Leydig cells into estradiol
What is the affect of estradiol in the male reproduction?
it affects the Leydig cells to affect testosterone production
How does testosterone affect the cell?
Testosterone enters the cell and is converted to the more potent 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α reductase) inside the cell. This binds to an androgen receptor. Two of these complexes join together and enter the nucleus to get protein expression
How does the testosterone secretion change throughout the day?
it is pulsatile throughout the day but it the mean level is higher between midnight and noon
How does the testosterone secretion change in a lifetime?
The embryo produces a little bit and then it increases which reflects the masculinisation of the embryo. Then it drops off before birth. There is a post-natal spike and then at puberty it vastly increases and is held steady until about 60yrs when it begins to decline
Is testosterone produced by the sertoli cell?
no
Is testosterone synthesised from cholesterol?
yes
Are testosterone levels constant throughout the life of a male?
no
Can testosterone be converted to an estrogen?
yes
What is the main reproductive organ of the female?
the uterus
What is the role of the uterus?
for protection of the embryo and for nutritional support