Testicular gonadotropin receptors in men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism

To investigate the reason(s) why human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) treatment is not always effective for men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH), we measured hCG and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptors in testicular tissues obtained by biopsy from 5 men with idiopathic HH and 2 men with secondary HH. The difference between these 7 men and age-matched controls in the numbers of testicular hCG and FSH receptors were not significant. Histologic examination of the testes also showed that Leydig and Sertoli cells had a normal appearance. Therefore, responsiveness to gonadotropins seems to be preserved in the testes of men with HH. Fro these results it could be concluded that combined hCG and hMG treatment may be used with good results for the treatment of HH.