Gibula-Tarlowska. E E; Kedzierska. E E; Piechura. K K; Silberring. J J; Kotlinska. J H JH
A new peptide called Kissorphin (KSO), made from kisspeptin‑10, was tested in rats and found to block the rewarding effects of morphine, a powerful opioid. It stopped rats from learning to like morphine, reduced the already‑learned preference, and prevented a relapse‑like response, without causing any preference or aversion on its own. The effect works through specific brain receptors (NPFF), and can be blocked by an antagonist, showing the mechanism is real, but the study was only in animals.
Rehman. Rehana R; Zafar. Amara A; Ali. Arzina Aziz AA; Baig. Mukhtiar M; Alam. Faiza F
The study found that higher levels of the hormone kisspeptin in both blood and the fluid around eggs (follicular fluid) during IVF cycles were linked to more mature eggs, thicker uterine lining, and better chances of pregnancy in women with unexplained infertility.
Leonardi. Carlos E P CEP; Dias. Fernanda C F FCF; Adams. Gregg P GP; Singh. Jaswant J
Kisspeptin‑10 given to cows raised blood LH levels and made the main follicle a bit bigger, but the doses used didn’t trigger ovulation during the luteal phase.
Skorupskaite. Karolina K; George. Jyothis T JT; Veldhuis. Johannes D JD; Millar. Robert P RP; Anders...
In women with PCOS, a 7‑day course of a neurokinin‑3 receptor blocker lowered baseline LH and FSH levels, but an infusion of kisspeptin‑10 still caused a strong rise in LH. The LH boost from kisspeptin was linked to estrogen levels unless the blocker was present, showing that kisspeptin can drive reproductive hormone release even when the NKB pathway is inhibited.
The study shows that the brain peptide kisspeptin‑10 can boost the cleaning and recycling of mitochondria in brain cells, leading to more mitochondria, better energy production, and possibly improved memory in aging rats and human neuron cells. However, the work is still early‑stage and done in cells and animals, with no human dosing or safety data.
Hellier. Vincent V; Brock. Olivier O; Bakker. Julie J
In female mice, the hormone-like peptide kisspeptin is needed for normal sexual interest and the lordosis posture that signals readiness to mate. Removing kisspeptin stops these behaviors, but giving a single kisspeptin injection restores them. The peptide works through the usual GnRH pathway for preference, but a separate nitric‑oxide signal seems to drive the actual lordosis response.
The review explains that the brain cells that make kisspeptin, a hormone that triggers reproductive signals, are tightly controlled by the body's energy status. When you have enough fuel (calories, fat stores), kisspeptin production goes up, helping fertility; when energy is low, production drops. The article also notes that kisspeptin can feed back to affect how the brain regulates appetite and metabolism, creating a two‑way link between metabolism and reproduction.
Researchers mapped kisspeptin‑producing neurons in the front part of the human hypothalamus and found they are influenced by estrogen, similar to what’s seen in animals. Men and young women have about the same number of these cells, but the count drops after menopause. These human cells are also chemically different from the ones studied in rodents.
In rats that had a brain bleed, giving a form of the peptide kisspeptin-54 through the nose reduced brain damage, oxidative stress, and cell death, and helped the animals recover better over weeks. The protective effect depended on a specific receptor (GPR54) and downstream signaling proteins.
Ullah. Hamid H; Nabi. Ghulam G; Zubair. Hira H; Ullah. Rahim R; Shahab. Muhammad M
Giving a single IV dose of kisspeptin-10 (1 µg per kg body weight) makes the brain release more LH hormone in men of all ages, but only younger adult men see a rise in testosterone. As men get older, their testes become less responsive to the LH boost, so testosterone doesn't go up.
Lehman. Michael N MN; He. Wen W; Coolen. Lique M LM; Levine. Jon E JE; Goodman. Robert L RL
Scientists think a group of brain cells that release kisspeptin, neurokinin B, and dynorphin (called KNDy neurons) helps control the timing of reproductive hormone bursts. This idea is well‑studied in rodents and some farm animals, but we still don’t know exactly how it works in monkeys or people. New drugs that target these KNDy signals are being tested for fertility and other hormone problems, so understanding this system in humans could become important.
In female mice, giving kisspeptin-10 directly into a specific brain area (the ventrolateral ventromedial hypothalamus) makes them more receptive to mating, and this effect seems to rely on neurons that produce nitric oxide. The same treatment does not change which male they prefer, and giving the hormone into other brain spots or giving GnRH does nothing.
Kisspeptin is a brain hormone that tells the body when to start puberty, release reproductive hormones, and adjust the immune system during pregnancy. It also appears to affect heart function in pregnant women and helps the immune system tolerate the fetus.
Araújo. Bruna Silva BS; Baracat. Maria Cândida P MCP; Dos Santos Simões. Ricardo R; d...
A short review found that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) usually have higher blood levels of the peptide kisspeptin, and this is true regardless of whether they are lean or overweight.
The study found that women with PCOS have higher blood levels of the peptide kisspeptin, and those levels go up when testosterone and DHEAS are high and down when FSH is high. This suggests kisspeptin is linked to the hormonal imbalances seen in PCOS, but the research doesn’t test any treatments or give dosing advice.
In rats, giving kisspeptin-10 before a hot‑stress event helped protect the liver. The peptide reduced damage by boosting antioxidant defenses and normalising metabolism of purines and fats. The study shows a possible anti‑oxidant role for kisspeptin, but it’s an early animal experiment.
Calik-Ksepka. Anna A; Stradczuk. Monika M; Czarnecka. Karolina K; Grymowicz. Monika M; Smolarczyk. R...
During breastfeeding, high prolactin levels shut down kisspeptin neurons in the brain, which stops the normal GnRH and LH hormone pulses needed for ovulation, causing temporary infertility (lactational amenorrhea). This also leads to increased bone turnover to supply calcium to the baby, but bone density usually recovers after weaning. The lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) can be a reliable, low‑cost birth control if strict breastfeeding patterns are followed, but it’s not the same as just nursing.
Abbara. Ali A; Clarke. Sophie S; Islam. Rumana R; Prague. Julia K JK; Comninos. Alexander N AN; Nara...
Giving a second injection of kisspeptin‑54 about 10 hours after the first one boosts the hormone surge that matures eggs, leading more women at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome to get a good number of mature eggs, and it doesn’t raise the chance of severe side effects.
Vannecke. Willem W; Ampe. Christophe C; Van Troys. Marleen M; Beltramo. Massimiliano M; Madder. Anne...
Scientists showed that a specially tweaked version of the kisspeptin-10 peptide can stick itself to its natural receptor on cell surfaces without using harmful UV light. The reaction happens inside living cells thanks to natural reactive oxygen species, making the process safe and efficient.
Albalawi. Fadwa S FS; Daghestani. Maha H MH; Daghestani. Mazin H MH; Eldali. Abdelmoneim A; Warsy. A...
The study looked at a gene called KISS1 and a tiny protein called kisspeptin in Saudi women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It found that women with PCOS had higher LH hormone levels and body weight, and a specific genetic variant (GG at rs4889) was more common in them and linked to higher kisspeptin and FSH levels. However, overall kisspeptin levels weren’t different from healthy women, and the research is small and observational, so it doesn’t give clear guidance on using kisspeptin for health improvement.