For splenic FRC ex vivo quantification, 6–8-week-old male wild type or Ccl19-creneg×Rosa26-DTR+/− mice were used. The gating strategies for splenic B cells (Supplementary Fig. 8a), peritoneal B cells (Supplementary Fig. 8b), and splenic FRCs (Supplementary Fig. 8c) are described in the Online Supplement. Therefore, differences in the regulation of BAFF by estradiol and testosterone, potentially driven by nervous mechanisms, may contribute to the sex difference in autoimmune diseases in which BAFF has a pathogenic function. In the present study, we found that serum BAFF levels were higher in female compared to male mice, which is in accordance with a previous report of sex differences in BAFF levels among wild-type controls55. Thus, the decreased splenic noradrenaline levels in testosterone/AR deficiency increases the number of FRCs. Outside the immune system, adrenergic regulation of fibroblastic cells is important in the heart42 and lung43, and the sympathetic nervous system regulates the proliferation of perivascular stromal cells in the bone marrow44. Accordingly, spleens from castrated mice had low noradrenaline levels and an increased number of FRCs. Falling in love has been linked with decreases in men's testosterone levels while mixed changes are reported for women's testosterone levels. There is no FDA-approved androgen preparation for the treatment of androgen insufficiency; however, it has been used as an off-label use to treat low libido and sexual dysfunction in older women. A link has also been found between relaxation following sexual arousal and testosterone levels. Testosterone has been detected at variably higher and lower levels among men of various nations and from various backgrounds, explanations for the causes of this have been relatively diverse. Immunofluorescence assays exhibit considerable variability in quantifying testosterone concentrations in blood samples due to the cross-reaction of structurally similar steroids, leading to overestimating the results. In measurements of testosterone in blood samples, different assay techniques can yield different results. Several professional medical groups have recommended that 350 ng/dL generally be considered the minimum normal level, which is consistent with previous findings.non-primary source neededmedical citation needed Levels of testosterone in men decline with age. 5α-Reductase is highly expressed in the male reproductive organs (including the prostate gland, seminal vesicles, and epididymides), skin, hair follicles, and brain and aromatase is highly expressed in adipose tissue, bone, and the brain. Eppin has not been shown to be required for spermatogenesis but it is required for fertilization of the egg by sperm and has been the target of contraceptive development . Because analysis of SCARKO models found less of a retinoic acid connection, it is possible that other cell types may be responsible for translating testosterone signals into retinoic acid-mediated spermatogonia differentiation and entry into meiosis 4, 98–100. Second, some families of transcripts are regulated similarly by testosterone in various models including proteases, protease inhibitors, cell adhesion and cytoskeletal proteins 76, 94, 96, 97. Of the differentially expressed genes, a large percentage appears to be down-regulated by testosterone signaling. Therefore, inhibin B is more appropriate for the early assessment of testicular function during these developmental stages 105,106. These findings suggest that robust FSHR activity can facilitate spermatogenesis without the need for testosterone, challenging the notion that testosterone is an absolute prerequisite for this process . This phenomenon underscores the potential for FSH signaling to sustain spermatogenesis independently of pituitary gonadotropins. This intricate hormonal interplay ensures the delicate balance between spermatogonia maintenance and differentiation, which is essential for testicular development and function. Furthermore, signaling enhances SSC differentiation through the activation of key factors such as stem cell factor (SCF), steel factor (SLF), bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP4), and insulin-like growth factor 3 (IGF3) 51,86,87. The cAMP/PKA signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in the regulation of FSH on the maintenance of the spermatogonia pool and the differentiation and apoptosis of spermatogonia. In fact, androgens play important functions that reach far beyond the reproductive process, for example 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) regulates glucose consumption and lactate production in cultured rat Sertoli cells (35, 75). Although new proteomics studies have identified proteins in meiotic germ cells that are responsive to testosterone signaling in other cells, it is not yet known how the testosterone signals are relayed to the meiotic germ cells. Instead it is expected that increased AR-mediated gene expression will result in the production of proteins that in turn down-regulate other genes or that testosterone signaling may alter the metabolism of the Sertoli cell resulting in decreased gene expression. However, taken in total the results from the SCARKO mice do support the idea that testosterone regulates many genes and that it may be the sum of all the alterations in transcription that supports the complex development of germ cells. The down-regulation of gene expression by testosterone-regulated miRNAs may be one explanation for the relatively high percentage of genes that are inhibited by testosterone signaling in Sertoli cells. Pathway analysis suggested that testosterone-regulated miRNAs targeted genes are required for cell junction restructuring and cell signaling, two androgen dependent processes required for germ cell development. It is anticipated that additional studies of gene expression using the RiboTag-RNA-seq strategy will reveal additional testosterone regulated genes in Sertoli and other testis cells that are essential to maintain spermatogenesis. The proliferation of SSCs results in either the production of two new stem cells to retain the stem cell pool or undifferentiated spermatogonia that are destined to develop into sperm. Leydig cells are present in the interstitial space between the tubules and produce testosterone, which diffuses into the seminiferous tubules, as well as blood vessels in the interstitial space (Fig. 1). The cytoplasm of Sertoli cells extends from the basement membrane to the lumen of the tubule surrounding the developing germ cells. PTM cells cooperate with Sertoli cells to produce the basement membrane of the seminiferous tubule and provide the niche for spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) that produce the germ cells that will develop into sperm 7, 8. Sertoli cells relay external signals and provide factors required for the proliferation and differentiation of germ cells. Although testosterone has been known to be essential for male fertility for at least 70 years,57,58 the molecular mechanisms by which testosterone acts to support spermatogenesis are only now being identified.