Hormones and postpartum cardiomyopathy.
Prolactin, a hormone fundamental for lactation, was recently shown to mediate postpartum cardiomyopathy, a life-threatening disease in late-term and lactating mothers. The detrimental effect of prolactin results from myocardial upregulation of cathepsin-D, which in turn cleaves prolactin to a 16 kDa fragment (vasoinhibin) with anti-angiogenic and pro-apoptotic properties that impair developing cardiac vasculature.
Clapp
Carmen
C
Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Querétaro, Qro, México. clapp@servidor.unam.mx
Thebault
Stéphanie
S
Martínez de la Escalera
Gonzalo
G
D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000502:physiology*
D011388:Prolactin