Leptin, the 16-kDa protein product of the obese gene, was originally seen as an adipocyte-derived signaling molecule. Recently, it has been suggested to be involved in some functions during pregnancy, particularly in the placenta. In the present study, we investigated the role of leptin in the secretion of hCG, progesterone, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) by human term trophoblast cells in culture. Placentae were obtained from cesarean sections following uncomplicated pregnancies and used immediately after delivery. Leptin, hCG, progesterone, and IL-6 were measured by ELISA, RIA, and immunoradiometric assay in the cultured media of trophoblast cells cultured for 48 and 96 h. Leptin mRNA expression in these cultures was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Recombinant human leptin added to primary cultures of human term placental trophoblast cells showed a stimulatory effect on hCG and IL-6 secretion and an inhibitory effect on progesterone secretion. Primary cultures of term trophoblast cells expressed leptin mRNA. All these findings suggest a role for leptin in human placental endocrine function.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod.102.006122 | DOI Listing |
Dis Model Mech
January 2025
Department of Microbiology, Trinity College, Dublin D02 VF25, Ireland.
Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) describes a group of rare benign and cancerous lesions originating from the trophoblast cells of the placenta. These neoplasms are unconventional entities, being one of the few instances in which cancer develops from the cells of another organism, the foetus. Although this condition was first described over 100 years ago, the specific genetic and non-genetic drivers of this disease remain unknown to this day.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFiScience
January 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China.
Studies have shown that circRNAs play an important regulatory role in trophoblast function and embryonic development. Based on sequencing and functional experiments, we found that hsa_circ_0069443 can regulate the function of trophoblast cells, and its presence is found in the exosomes secreted by trophoblast cells. It is known that exosomes mediate the interaction between the uterus and embryo, which is crucial for successful pregnancy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Hum Reprod
January 2025
Follicle Biology Laboratory, Research Group Genetics, Reproduction and Development, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
Biphasic in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM) can be offered as a patient-friendly alternative to conventional ovarian stimulation in in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients predicted to be hyper-responsive to ovarian stimulation. However, cumulative live birth rates after IVM per cycle are lower than after conventional ovarian stimulation for IVF. In different animal species, supplementation of IVM media with oocyte-secreted factors (OSFs) improves oocyte developmental competence through the expression of pro-ovulatory genes in cumulus cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Biosci (Landmark Ed)
January 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, 210000 Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Background: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a gestational disorder that significantly endangers maternal and fetal health. Transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA)-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) are important in the progression and diagnosis of various diseases. However, their role in the development of PE is unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimals (Basel)
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as competing endogenous RNAs and play significant roles in porcine embryo development. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the uterine fluid (UF) can target and deliver maternal endometrial signalling molecules to embryonic trophoblast cells, exerting crucial regulatory effects during embryo implantation. However, the specific roles of lncRNAs carried by UF-EVs during the embryo implantation period have not been thoroughly reported in the literature.
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