TY - JOUR
T1 - Possible role of placental leptin in pregnancy
T2 - A review
AU - Sagawa, Norimasa
AU - Yura, Shigeo
AU - Itoh, Hiroaki
AU - Kakui, Kazuyo
AU - Takemura, Maki
AU - Nuamah, Mercy A.
AU - Ogawa, Yoshihiro
AU - Masuzaki, Hiroaki
AU - Nakao, Kazuwa
AU - Fujii, Shingo
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Sports, Science and Culture, Japan (no. 13470352, 13557139, 13671707, 14704042, 14657419); and by grants from the Smoking Research Foundation and the Kanzawa Medical Research Foundation, Japan.
PY - 2002/10
Y1 - 2002/10
N2 - Leptin was initially identified as an adipocyte-derived hormone that decreases food intake and body weight via its receptor in the hypothalamus. Subsequent animal studies revealed various physiologic functions of leptin. Leptin plays an essential role in reproduction by regulating gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion from the hypothalamus. It also modulates glucose metabolism by increasing insulin sensitivity and activates the sympathetic nervous system. In humans, leptin is also produced by placental trophoblasts and is secreted into both the maternal and fetal circulation. Leptin production in the placenta is increased in pregnancies complicated with several pathologic conditions. Leptin gene expression in the placenta is augmented in severe preeclampsia, and maternal plasma leptin levels in severe preeclampsia are significantly higher than those in normotensive pregnant women. Leptin production in the placenta is also increased in diabetic pregnancy with insulin treatment. Furthermore, leptin is proposed to play a functional role in implantation by virtue of its stimulatory effect on matrix metalloproteinase expression in cytotrophoblast. Dysregulation of leptin metabolism and/or function in the placenta may be implicated in the pathogenesis of various disorders during pregnancy, such as recurrent miscarriage, gestational diabetes, intrauterine growth retardation, and preeclampsia. In this review, possible roles of placental leptin are discussed.
AB - Leptin was initially identified as an adipocyte-derived hormone that decreases food intake and body weight via its receptor in the hypothalamus. Subsequent animal studies revealed various physiologic functions of leptin. Leptin plays an essential role in reproduction by regulating gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion from the hypothalamus. It also modulates glucose metabolism by increasing insulin sensitivity and activates the sympathetic nervous system. In humans, leptin is also produced by placental trophoblasts and is secreted into both the maternal and fetal circulation. Leptin production in the placenta is increased in pregnancies complicated with several pathologic conditions. Leptin gene expression in the placenta is augmented in severe preeclampsia, and maternal plasma leptin levels in severe preeclampsia are significantly higher than those in normotensive pregnant women. Leptin production in the placenta is also increased in diabetic pregnancy with insulin treatment. Furthermore, leptin is proposed to play a functional role in implantation by virtue of its stimulatory effect on matrix metalloproteinase expression in cytotrophoblast. Dysregulation of leptin metabolism and/or function in the placenta may be implicated in the pathogenesis of various disorders during pregnancy, such as recurrent miscarriage, gestational diabetes, intrauterine growth retardation, and preeclampsia. In this review, possible roles of placental leptin are discussed.
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U2 - 10.1385/ENDO:19:1:65
DO - 10.1385/ENDO:19:1:65
M3 - Review article
C2 - 12583603
AN - SCOPUS:12244301602
SN - 0969-711X
VL - 19
SP - 65
EP - 71
JO - Endocrine
JF - Endocrine
IS - 1
ER -
