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Luteinizing Hormone Responsiveness

Meaning

Luteinizing Hormone Responsiveness refers to the sensitivity and capacity of the gonadal cells—Leydig cells in the testes and theca and granulosa cells in the ovaries—to react to the signaling presence of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) by initiating or enhancing sex steroid production. This metric is a key indicator of gonadal health, reflecting the integrity of the LH receptors and the efficiency of the subsequent intracellular signaling cascade, including the cholesterol transport and steroidogenic enzyme activity. Diminished responsiveness, often seen with aging or chronic metabolic stress, results in lower endogenous testosterone or estrogen output despite adequate LH secretion.