"LEPTIN ACTION IN NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL PREGNANCIES"

TERESA VILARIÑO; JOSÉ LUIS DUEÑAS; VICTOR SÁNCHEZ MARGALET; AYELÉN TORO; PILAR GUÁDIX; CECILIA LAURA VARONE; ANTONIO PÉREZ-PÉREZ; JULIETA LORENA MAYMÓ; MANUEL FERNÁNDEZ

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE (PRINT)

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2017 p. 1 - 12

1582-1838

Leptin is now considered an important signaling molecule of the reproductive system,since it regulates the production of gonadotropins, the blastocyst formation andimplantation, the normal placentation, as well as the feto-placental communication.Leptin is a peptide hormone secreted mainly by adipose tissue and the placenta is thesecond leptin producing tissue in humans. Placental leptin is an important cytokinewhich regulates placental functions in an autocrine or paracrine manner. Leptin seemsto play a crucial role during the first stages of pregnancy as it modulates criticalprocesses like proliferation, protein synthesis, invasion and apoptosis in placental cells.Furthermore, deregulation of leptin levels has been correlated with the pathogenesis ofvarious disorders associated with reproduction and gestation, including polycystic ovarysyndrome, recurrent miscarriage, gestational diabetes mellitus, pre-eclampsia andintrauterine growth restriction. Due to the relevant incidence of the mentioned diseasesand the importance of leptin, we decided to review the latest information available aboutleptin action in normal and pathological pregnancies to support the idea of leptin as animportant factor and/or predictor of diverse disorders associated with reproduction andpregnancy.