Final answer:
Luteinizing hormone (LH) produced by the anterior pituitary gland stimulates Leydig cells (interstitial cells) to produce testosterone as part of a regulatory negative feedback loop involving the hypothalamus and pituitary gland.
Step-by-step explanation:
Produced by the anterior pituitary gland, the hormone luteinizing hormone (LH) stimulates the interstitial cells, or Leydig cells, to produce testosterone. The regulation of this process begins with the hypothalamus triggering the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which then stimulates the pituitary to produce LH and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
While LH is responsible for the upregulation of testosterone production, FSH binds to Sertoli cells in the testes, promoting spermatogenesis and the release of inhibins, which serve as a check to inhibit FSH release and subsequently reduce testosterone secretion.
This orchestrated mechanism constitutes a negative feedback loop with testosterone and inhibin modulating the activity of GnRH, LH, and FSH, ensuring proper reproductive function and the maintenance of hormone balance within the body.