Lutropin (luteinizing hormone, LH)

Lutropin (luteinizing hormone, LH). This is one of the gonadotropins synthesized and secreted by the gonadotrophs of the adenohypophysis in both women and men. In men, they are secreted constantly, while in women – periodically and in much larger quantities. Gonadotropins (luteotropins and follicle-stimulating hormones) regulate gametogenesis and spermatogenesis in the sex glands. Luteotropin is a glycoprotein composed of α and β subunits (M ~ 28.5 kDa). The secondary messenger of luteotropin is cAMP. The half-life of luteotropin action is 20 minutes. Luteotropin stimulates the biosynthesis of progesterone in the corpus luteum and testosterone in Leydig cells, activating the initial stages of cholesterol biosynthesis, promoting ovulation, corpus luteum formation, and the biosynthesis of estrogens and progesterone.

Source | Glossary of Most Commonly Used Biomedical Terms and Concepts | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences | Academician Professor Antanas Praškevičius, Professor Laima Ivanovienė