SEMINAR
Service of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism - CHUV-Lausanne, Switzerland
The central nervous system (CNS) control of feeding and that of the neuroendocrine reproductive axis share several common hormonal mediators and mechanisms. Different populations of specialized hypothalamic neurons are modulated by peripheral metabolic signals. These signals convey important information regarding the nutritional status of the individual. At the CNS level, they modulate hunger and satiety as well as the activation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-expressing neurons, key activators of reproduction.
Leptin and insulin represent prototypical factors involved in these regulations, both capable of activating GnRH neurons via different mechanisms. Here we will review these mechanisms and detail their pathophysiological relevance, both at the cellular level and for the integrated regulation of reproductive function in rodents and in humans.
Host: Prof. Lluis Fajas