An increase in kisspeptin-54 release occurs with the pubertal increase in luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone-1 release in the stalk-median eminence of female rhesus monkeys in vivo.
Keen. Kim L KL; Wegner. Frederick H FH; Bloom. Stephen R SR; Ghatei. Mohammad A MA; Terasawa. Ei E
Key Findings
- Kisspeptin-54 release increases during puberty and mirrors the rise in LHRH-1 release.
- Kisspeptin-54 is released in pulsatile bursts (~60‑minute intervals) that are largely synchronized with LHRH-1 pulses.
- Infusing kisspeptin-10 directly into the brain area stimulates LHRH-1 release, with stronger effects at higher doses.
Practical Outcomes
- The study confirms that kisspeptin can activate the GnRH/LHRH system, suggesting it could be a target for influencing reproductive hormones. However, the work is in monkeys and focuses on puberty, so it offers limited direct guidance for adult human protocols. More human research is needed before considering kisspeptin-10 as a supplement for hormone modulation.
Summary
In female rhesus monkeys, the natural hormone kisspeptin-54 spikes during puberty and its release pulses about once an hour, matching the pulses of the brain hormone that triggers LH and FSH (LHRH-1). Giving a short version of the hormone, kisspeptin-10, directly into the brain area also boosted LHRH-1 release in a dose‑dependent way. This shows kisspeptin can drive the reproductive hormone cascade, at least in monkeys.
Abstract
The G-protein coupled receptor GPR54 and its ligand, KiSS-1-derived peptide kisspeptin-54, appear to play an important role in the mechanism of puberty. This study measures the release of kisspeptin-54 in the stalk-median eminence (S-ME) during puberty and examines its potential role in the pubertal increase in LHRH-1 release in female rhesus monkeys. First, developmental changes in release of kisspeptin-54 and LHRH-1 were assessed in push-pull perfusate samples obtained from the S-ME of prepubertal, early pubertal, and midpubertal female rhesus monkeys. Whereas LHRH-1 levels in 10-min intervals had been measured previously for other experiments, kisspeptin-54 levels in 40-min pooled samples were newly measured by RIA. The results indicate that a significant increase in kisspeptin-54 release occurred in association with the pubertal increase in LHRH-1 release and that a nocturnal increase in kisspeptin-54 release was already observed in prepubertal monkeys and continued through the pubertal period. Second, we measured kisspeptin-54 release in the S-ME of midpubertal monkeys at 10-min intervals using a microdialysis method. Kisspeptin-54 release in the S-ME was clearly pulsatile with an interpulse interval of about 60 min, and approximately 75% of kisspeptin-54 pulses were correlated with LHRH-1 pulses. Finally, the effect of kisspeptin-10 on LHRH-1 release was examined with the microdialysis method. Kisspeptin-10 infusion through a microdialysis probe significantly stimulated LHRH-1 release in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that kisspeptin plays a role in puberty.
Study Information
pubmed
2008
2008-05-01T00:00:00.000Z
10.1210/en.2008-0231
261
44