Inhibins and activins inhibit and activate, respectively, the secretion of follitropin by the pituitary gland. Inhibins/activins are involved in regulating a number of diverse functions such as hypothalamic and pituitary hormone secretion, gonadal hormone secretion, germ cell development and maturation, erythroid differentiation, insulin secretion, nerve cell survival, embryonic axial development or bone growth, depending on their subunit composition. Inhibins appear to oppose the functions of activins.
Subcellular locations: Secreted
Originally found in ovary (granulosa cells) and testis (Sertoli cells), but widely distributed in many tissues including brain and placenta. In adrenal cortex expression is limited to the zona reticularis and the innermost zona fasciculata in the normal gland, extending centripetally into the zona fasciculata in hyperplasia. Also found in adrenocortical tumors. Also expressed in prostate epithelium of benign prostatic hyperplasia, in regions of basal cell hyperplasia and in nonmalignant regions of high grade prostate cancer. Only circulating inhibin B is found in male, whereas circulating inhibins A and B are found in female.