Follicle-Stimulating Hormone in Peripheral Metabolism: Novel Insights into Growth Regulation and Potential Applications in Boar Production
1
Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
2
School of Life Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Yaan 625014, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2026, 16(7), 1004; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16071004
Submission received: 16 January 2026
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Revised: 20 March 2026
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Accepted: 21 March 2026
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Published: 25 March 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Pigs)
Simple Summary
Male pigs are often surgically neutered to reduce unpleasant odors and behaviors, but this harms how they use feed, makes them gain too much fat, and raises animal welfare worries. The exact way in which removing testes/gonads affects body processes such as energy metabolism is not fully understood. This review focuses on follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), a hormone initially recognized for promoting the development of female reproductive cells. New research shows it also affects how fat is processed, bone health, and liver function. Scientists made a new vaccine targeting this hormone using a small, shared part of it. Tests on neutered male pigs proved the vaccine could adjust their growth and body processes. This work reveals new roles of this hormone in body metabolism and offers a new vaccine-based method to improve pig farming, making it more sustainable by solving the problems from neutering, benefiting both animal welfare and the livestock industry.
Abstract
Gonad loss triggers severe endocrine disorders and altered energy metabolism, yet the precise mechanisms remain poorly understood. In swine production, surgical castration is widely performed to eliminate boar taint and aggressive behavior, but it impairs feed efficiency, increases fat deposition, and raises animal welfare issues. Castration reduces testosterone and estrogen levels, leading to elevated gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and its downstream follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Traditionally viewed as a reproductive hormone, FSH has recently emerged as a critical regulator of peripheral metabolism. Based on these findings, we designed and developed a novel FSH vaccine comprising an FSHβ13AA-tandem-ovalbumin conjugate, which has been demonstrated to effectively regulate growth and metabolism in castrated boars. In conclusion, this review underscores the previously underrecognized metabolic functions of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and proposes a novel immunomodulatory strategy targeting FSH for fine-tuning organ function and energy metabolism. This approach shows considerable potential for advancing sustainable, welfare-oriented swine production.
Keywords:
surgical castration; immunocastration; FSH; GnRH; swine
