Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) plays an important role in the process of reproduction. Studies have shown that a family of peptides Kisspeptin can act on GnRH-related neurons, stimulating the secretion of GnRH, and activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Both animal experiments and clinical studies have shown that exogenous administration of Kisspeptin is able to induce physiological GnRH release in healthy individuals and those with endocrine-disorders, which brings great hope for treatment of reproductive endocrine diseases. The effect of Kisspeptin is similar to the physiological process in induction of ovulation and ovum maturation, leading to high security and efficiency for women receiving in vitro fertilization. Kisspeptin is involved in trophoblast invasion, so it may be useful for predicting pregnancy outcomes. In addition, Kisspeptin is the key hormone in the onset of puberty acting as a signal transducer in metabolism and reproduction, so it provides some directions for studies of polycystic ovary syndrome, hyperprolactinemia, and other metabolic-related reproductive endocrine diseases. This article reviews the character of Kisspeptin and the prospect of its application in treatment of reproductive endocrine diseases.
肽类激素Kisspeptin是调控女性生殖内分泌功能的重要激素，能作用于促性腺激素释放激素（GnRH）神经元，刺激GnRH分泌，从而激活下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴。在大量动物实验的基础上，越来越多的人体临床实验结果表明，外源性地给予Kisspeptin能够使健康个体甚至生殖内分泌紊乱的个体诱发生理性GnRH释放。Kisspeptin在诱导女性排卵及卵子成熟方面可能较传统药物更贴近生理过程，更具安全性和高效性，在体外受精治疗中有一定程度的优势。同时，Kisspeptin因其与滋养细胞浸润相关，可能用于预测妊娠结局。另外，Kisspeptin是启动青春期的关键激素，在人体代谢和生殖功能方面起到了信号传导作用，这为多囊卵巢综合征、高泌乳素血症等相关生殖内分泌疾病的诊治提示了新的研究思路。本文综述Kisspeptin在生殖内分泌领域的应用前景。