Immunological challenge experienced in early life can have long-term programming effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis that permanently influence the stress response. Similarly, neonatal exposure to immunological stress enhances stress-induced suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal (HPG) axis in adulthood, but may also affect earlier development, including the timing of ...

Kallmann syndrome (KS) is characterized by isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) with anosmia and is sometimes associated with cleft lip/palate (CLP). In order to describe the clinical features, genetic etiology, and treatment outcome of KS males with CLP, we performed genetic screening for 15 known causal IHH genes (KAL1, FGFR1, NELF, FGF8, CHD7, WDR11, SEMA3A, KISS1R, KISS1, PROKR2, PR...

Tachykinins are comprised of the family of related peptides, substance P (SP), neurokinin A (NKA), and neurokinin B (NKB). NKB has emerged as regulator of kisspeptin release in the arcuate nucleus (ARC), whereas the roles of SP and NKA in reproduction remain unknown. This work explores the roles of SP and NKA in the central regulation of GnRH release. First, central infusion of specific agonist...

Kisspeptins are new actors in the neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction. In vertebrates, the number of kiss genes varies from none to three. Zebrafish have two kiss genes, kiss1 and kiss2, and two kiss receptors (GPR54), kiss1r and kiss2r. To provide detailed information on the organization of the kiss systems in zebrafish, antibodies were raised against the C terminus of zebrafish preproKi...

Kisspeptin, which is the product of the kiss1 gene and its receptor kiss1r, have emerged as the essential gatekeepers of reproduction. The present study used gonadally intact female rats to evaluate fasting-induced suppression of the KiSS-1 system of anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) and arcuate nucleus (ARC) under normal physiological conditions. Starting on the day of estrous, one...

Kisspeptin is vital for the neuroendocrine regulation of GNRH secretion. Kisspeptin neurons are now recognized as a central pathway responsible for conveying key homeostatic information to GNRH neurons. This pathway is likely to mediate the well-established link between energy balance and reproductive function. Thus, in states of severely altered energy balance (either negative or positive), fe...