PACAP (pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide) hatása a reprodukcióra

Abstract

The pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide belonging to the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)/secretin/glucagon superfamily. The amino acid sequences of PACAP show 84-100% identity in different vertebrates. Its high conservation suggests that PACAP is involved in important physiological pathways. It plays a role in vasodilation, immunomodulation, cytoprotection and regulation of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory, and reproductive processes. It also regulates insulin secretion, cell cycle, differentiation, and cell death. The absence PACAP in knock-out (KO) animals leads to a variety of biochemical and pathophysiological abnormalities, including endocrine disruption and inflammation. The high levels of PACAP found in the reproductive organs have suggested that PACAP may also play a central role in reproduction. It has been observed to affect fertility and reproduction at several levels. It affects the production and release of gonadotropic hormones through an autocrine and paracrine process, its expression is differentially regulated during the cycle, and it plays an important role in regulating of the growth and differentiation of preantral follicles. Lower implantation rates have been observed in studies using PACAP genedeficient mice.