Special brain cells are responsible for the release of hormones that control the functioning of the ovaries. This discovery was published in the journal Scientific ReportsIt will help develop effective treatments against infertility in farm animals and humans.
The researchers genetically modified female mice by removing the Kiss1 gene, which is responsible for the production of the kisspeptin protein. The gene was deleted only in brain nerve cells (neurons) sensitive to the substance dynorphin. This caused the rats’ fertility to be impaired: Their ovaries had less mass, and they also gave birth to fewer offspring than normal rats.
Other experiments showed that dynorphin-sensitive neurons regulate the release of follicle-stimulating hormone and GnRH hormone. They are responsible for the functioning of the ovaries in all mammals, including humans. When these processes are disrupted, fertilization of the egg becomes difficult or impossible.
Previous studies confirmed that dynorphin plays an important role in the reproductive system. The new study is the first to reveal the mechanisms of this effect and may be useful in the development of drugs for infertility.
Previously recognizedThe waist area is the easiest for women to get pregnant.