scholarly journals Adiponectin: A New Regulator of Female Reproductive System

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamil Dobrzyn ◽  
Nina Smolinska ◽  
Marta Kiezun ◽  
Karol Szeszko ◽  
Edyta Rytelewska ◽  
...  

Adiponectin is the hormone that belongs to the group of adipokines, chemical agents mainly derived from the white adipose tissue. The hormone plays pleiotropic roles in the organism, but the most important function of adiponectin is the control of energy metabolism. The presence of adiponectin and its receptors in the structures responsible for the regulation of female reproductive functions, such as hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, indicates that adiponectin may be involved in the female fertility regulation. The growing body of evidence suggests also that adiponectin action is dependent on the actual and hormonal status of the animal. Present study presents the current knowledge about the presence and role of adiponectin system (adiponectin and its receptors: AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) in the ovaries, oviduct, and uterus, as well as in the hypothalamus and pituitary, the higher branches of HPG axis, involved in the female fertility regulation.

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3127
Author(s):  
Bianca Semplici ◽  
Francesca Paola Luongo ◽  
Sofia Passaponti ◽  
Claudia Landi ◽  
Laura Governini ◽  
...  

Bitter taste receptors (TAS2RS) expression is not restricted to the oral cavity and the presence of these receptors in the male reproductive system and sperm provides insights into their possible role in human reproduction. To elucidate the potential role of TAS2Rs in the female reproductive system, we investigated the expression and localization of bitter taste receptors and the components of signal transduction cascade involved in the pathway of taste receptors in somatic follicular cells obtained from women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques. We found that TAS2R genes are expressed in both cumulus (CCs) and granulosa (GCs) cells, with TAS2R14 being the most highly expressed bitter receptor subtype. Interestingly, a slight increase in the expression of TAS2R14 and TAS2R43 was shown in both GCs and CCs in young women (p < 0.05), while a negative correlation may be established between the number of oocytes collected at the pickup and the expression of TAS2R43. Regarding α-gustducin and α-transducin, two Gα subunits expressed in the taste buds on the tongue, we provide evidence for their expression in CCs and GCs, with α-gustducin showing two additional isoforms in GCs. Finally, we shed light on the possible downstream transduction pathway initiated by taste receptor activation in the female reproductive system. Our study, showing for the first time the expression of taste receptors in the somatic ovarian follicle cells, significantly extends the current knowledge of the biological role of TAS2Rs for human female fertility.


2018 ◽  
Vol 156 (5) ◽  
pp. 680-688 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Balestrini ◽  
W. Chitarra ◽  
C. Antoniou ◽  
M. Ruocco ◽  
V. Fotopoulos

AbstractDrought represents one of the major constraints on agricultural productivity and food security and in future is destined to spread widely as a consequence of climate change. Research efforts are focused on developing strategies to make crops more resilient and to mitigate the effects of stress on crop production. In this context, the use of root-associated microbial communities and chemical priming strategies able to improve plant tolerance to abiotic stresses, including drought, have attracted increasing attention in recent years. The current review offers an overview of recent research aimed at verifying the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and chemical agents to improve plant tolerance to drought and to highlight the mechanisms involved in this improvement. Attention will be devoted mainly to current knowledge on the mechanisms involved in water transport.


Reproduction ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 130 (5) ◽  
pp. 583-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Mitchell ◽  
D T Armstrong ◽  
R L Robker ◽  
R J Norman

Obesity is associated with a diverse set of metabolic disorders, and has reproductive consequences that are complex and not well understood. The adipose tissue-produced leptin has dominated the literature with regards to female fertility complications, but it is pertinent to explore the likely role of other adipokines – adiponectin and resistin – as our understanding of their biological functions emerge. Leptin influences the developing embryo, the functioning of the ovary and the endometrium, interacts with the release and activity of gonadotrophins and the hormones that control their synthesis. In this review such biological actions and potential roles of the adipokines leptin, adiponectin and resistin are explored in relation to female fertility and the complexity of the obese metabolic state.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (21) ◽  
pp. 11927
Author(s):  
Esmeralda Magro-Lopez ◽  
María Ángeles Muñoz-Fernández

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a group of multifunctional growth factors that belong to the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily of proteins. Originally identified by their ability to induce bone formation, they are now known as essential signaling molecules that regulate the development and function of the female reproductive system (FRS). Several BMPs play key roles in aspects of reproductive system development. BMPs have also been described to be involved in the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into reproductive system tissues or organoids. The role of BMPs in the reproductive system is still poorly understood and the use of FRS tissue or organoids generated from hPSCs would provide a powerful tool for the study of FRS development and the generation of new therapeutic perspectives for the treatment of FRS diseases. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge about BMP signaling in FRS development and function.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (20) ◽  
pp. 11059
Author(s):  
Martha A. Schalla ◽  
Andreas Stengel

Ghrelin and nesfatin-1 are enteroendocrine peptide hormones expressed in rat X/A-like and human P/D1cells of the gastric mucosa. Besides their effect on food intake, both peptides are also implicated in various other physiological systems. One of these is the reproductive system. This present review illustrates the distribution of ghrelin and nesfatin-1 along the hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis, their modulation by reproductive hormones, and effects on reproductive functions as well as highlighting gaps in current knowledge to foster further research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Lorente-Cebrián ◽  
Pedro González-Muniesa ◽  
Fermín I. Milagro ◽  
J. Alfredo Martínez

AbstractObesity is a metabolic condition usually accompanied by insulin resistance (IR), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and dyslipidaemia, which is characterised by excessive fat accumulation and related to white adipose tissue (WAT) dysfunction. Enlargement of WAT is associated with a transcriptional alteration of coding and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). For many years, big efforts have focused on understanding protein-coding RNAs and their involvement in the regulation of adipocyte physiology and subsequent role in obesity. However, diverse findings have suggested that a dysfunctional adipocyte phenotype in obesity might be also dependent on specific alterations in the expression pattern of ncRNAs, such as miRNAs. The aim of this review is to update current knowledge on the physiological roles of miRNAs and other ncRNAs in adipose tissue function and their potential impact on obesity. Therefore, we examined their regulatory role on specific WAT features: adipogenesis, adipokine secretion, inflammation, glucose metabolism, lipolysis, lipogenesis, hypoxia and WAT browning. MiRNAs can be released to body fluids and can be transported (free or inside microvesicles) to other organs, where they might trigger metabolic effects in distant tissues, thus opening new possibilities to a potential use of miRNAs as biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and personalisation of obesity treatment. Understanding the role of miRNAs also opens the possibility of using these molecules on individualised dietary strategies for precision weight management. MiRNAs should be envisaged as a future therapeutic approach given that miRNA levels could be modulated by synthetic molecules (f.i. miRNA mimics and inhibitors) and/or specific nutrients or bioactive compounds.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. R105-R121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela Keuper

The crosstalk between macrophages (MΦ) and adipocytes within white adipose tissue (WAT) influences obesity-associated insulin resistance and other associated metabolic disorders, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. MΦ infiltration is increased in WAT during obesity, which is linked to decreased mitochondrial content and activity. The mechanistic interplay between MΦ and mitochondrial function of adipocytes is under intense investigation, as MΦ and inflammatory pathways exhibit a pivotal role in the reprogramming of WAT metabolism in physiological responses during cold, fasting and exercise. Thus, the underlying immunometabolic pathways may offer therapeutic targets to correct obesity and metabolic disease. Here, I review the current knowledge on the quantity and the quality of human adipose tissue macrophages (ATMΦ) and their impact on the bioenergetics of human adipocytes. The effects of ATMΦ and their secreted factors on mitochondrial function of white adipocytes are discussed, including recent research on MΦ as part of an immune signaling cascade involved in the ‘browning’ of WAT, which is defined as the conversion from white, energy-storing adipocytes into brown, energy-dissipating adipocytes.


Author(s):  
Amandine Girousse ◽  
Maxime Mathieu ◽  
Quentin Sastourné-Arrey ◽  
Sylvie Monferran ◽  
Louis Casteilla ◽  
...  

To coordinate specialized organs, inter-tissue communication appeared during evolution. Consequently, individual organs communicate their states via a vast interorgan communication network (ICN) made up of peptides, proteins, and metabolites that act between organs to coordinate cellular processes under homeostasis and stress. However, the nature of the interorgan signaling could be even more complex and involve mobilization mechanisms of unconventional cells that are still poorly described. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) virtually reside in all tissues, though the biggest reservoir discovered so far is adipose tissue where they are named adipose stromal cells (ASCs). MSCs are thought to participate in tissue maintenance and repair since the administration of exogenous MSCs is well known to exert beneficial effects under several pathological conditions. However, the role of endogenous MSCs is barely understood. Though largely debated, the presence of circulating endogenous MSCs has been reported in multiple pathophysiological conditions, but the significance of such cell circulation is not known and therapeutically untapped. In this review, we discuss current knowledge on the circulation of native MSCs, and we highlight recent findings describing MSCs as putative key components of the ICN.


BMC Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoni Olona ◽  
Subhankar Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Charlotte Hateley ◽  
Fernando O. Martinez ◽  
Siamon Gordon ◽  
...  

AbstractCell membrane fusion and multinucleation in macrophages are associated with physiologic homeostasis as well as disease. Osteoclasts are multinucleated macrophages that resorb bone through increased metabolic activity resulting from cell fusion. Fusion of macrophages also generates multinucleated giant cells (MGCs) in white adipose tissue (WAT) of obese individuals. For years, our knowledge of MGCs in WAT has been limited to their description as part of crown-like structures (CLS) surrounding damaged adipocytes. However, recent evidence indicates that these cells can phagocytose oversized lipid remnants, suggesting that, as in osteoclasts, cell fusion and multinucleation are required for specialized catabolic functions. We thus reason that WAT MGCs can be viewed as functionally analogous to osteoclasts and refer to them in this article as adipoclasts. We first review current knowledge on adipoclasts and their described functions. In view of recent advances in single cell genomics, we describe WAT macrophages from a ‘fusion perspective’ and speculate on the ontogeny of adipoclasts. Specifically, we highlight the role of CD9 and TREM2, two plasma membrane markers of lipid-associated macrophages in WAT, which have been previously described as regulators of fusion and multinucleation in osteoclasts and MGCs. Finally, we consider whether strategies aiming to target WAT macrophages can be more selectively directed against adipoclasts.


Endocrines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-283
Author(s):  
Naohiro Yano ◽  
Yu Tina Zhao ◽  
Ting C. Zhao

Irisin is a myokine that primarily targets adipose tissue, where it increases energy expenditure and contributes to the beneficial effects of exercise through the browning of white adipose tissue. As our knowledge has deepened in recent years, muscle has been found to be a major target organ for irisin as well. Several studies have attempted to characterize the role of irisin in muscle to improve glucose metabolism through mechanisms such as reducing insulin resistance. Although they are very intriguing reports, some contradictory results make it difficult to grasp the whole picture of the action of irisin on muscle. In this review, we attempted to organize the current knowledge of the role of irisin in muscle glucose metabolism. We discussed the direct effects of irisin on glucose metabolism in three types of muscle, that is, skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, and the myocardium. We also describe irisin’s effects on mitochondria and its interactions with other hormones. Furthermore, to consider the relationship between the irisin-induced improvement of glucose metabolism in muscle and systemic disorders of glucose metabolism, we reviewed the results from animal interventional studies and human clinical studies.


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