Endocrine Abstracts

Kiss1 neurons are essential elements in the central pathways controlling the reproductive axis. In rodents, two major hypothalamic populations of Kiss1 neurons exist, in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and in the rostral periventricular area of the third ventricle (RP3V). The majority of ARC Kiss1 neurons express two others neuropeptides, neurokinin B (NKB; encoded by Tac2) and dynorphin (Dyn); hence, this population has been named KNDy. Yet, NKB-only and Kiss1-only neurons are also...

The G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) kinase 2, GRK2, is a ubiquitous serine/threonine protein kinase that is able to phosphorylate and desensitize the active form of several GPCR. Compelling, as yet limited, evidence from in vitro studies have suggested a potential role of GRK2 in mediating desensitization of Gpr54, the canonical receptor for kisspeptins that is abundantly expressed in GnRH neurons. Yet, although kisspeptins have been universally recognized as essent...

Obesity and its comorbidities are reaching epidemic proportions. Maternal obesity is known to predispose the offspring to metabolic disorders, independently of genetic inheritance. This intergenerational transmission has also been suggested for paternal obesity during the pre-conception stage, as it appears to have a negative impact on the metabolic and reproductive health of the offspring, likely via epigenetic changes in spermatozoa. However, whether paternal obesity sensiti...

Childhood obesity has become a major health problem, which is coupled to different adverse outcomes and diseases. The escalating prevalence of child obesity parallels that of alterations in pubertal timing, also linked to higher disease burden later on life. Yet, the mechanisms underlying for this association remain unfolded. Ceramides, ubiquitous signaling molecules involved in numerous biological processes, have emerged as mediators of metabolic disorders and transmitters fo...