title: The relationship between gut and adipose hormones, and reproduction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reproductive function is tightly regulated by nutritional status. Indeed, it has been well described that undernutrition or obesity can lead to subfertility or infertility in humans. The common regulatory pathways which control energy homeostasis and reproductive function have, to date, been poorly understood due to limited studies or inconclusive data. However, gut hormones and adipose tissue hormones have recently emerged as potential regulators of both energy homeostasis and reproductive function.
  
  
  METHODS
  A PubMed search was performed using keywords related to gut and adipose hormones and associated with keywords related to reproduction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Currently available evidence that gut (ghrelin, obestatin, insulin, peptide YY, glucagon-like peptide-1, glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide, oxyntomodulin, cholecystokinin) and adipose hormones (leptin, adiponectin, resistin, omentin, chemerin) interact with the reproductive axis is presented. The extent, site and direction of their effects on the reproductive axis are variable and also vary depending on species, sex and pubertal stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gut and adipose hormones interact with the reproductive axis as well as with each other. While leptin and insulin have stimulatory effects and ghrelin has inhibitory effects on hypothalamic GnRH secretion, there is increasing evidence for their roles in other sites of the reproductive axis as well as evidence for the roles of other gut and adipose hormones in the complex interplay between nutrition and reproduction. As our understanding improves, so will our ability to identify and design novel therapeutic options for reproductive disorders and accompanying metabolic disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, 6th Floor Commonwealth Building, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.
authors.forename: Alexander N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Comninos
authors.forename: Channa N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Jayasena
authors.forename: Waljit S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Dhillo
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004717:Endometrium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D006066:Gonads / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000502:physiology; D007246:Infertility / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones; D036361:Peptide Hormones
keywords: adipose hormone; gut hormone; kisspeptin; puberty; reproduction