Adiponectin: A New Regulator of Female Reproductive System

Abstract

Adiponectin is the hormone that belongs to the group of adipokines, chemical agents mainly derived from the white adipose tissue. The hormone plays pleiotropic roles in the organism, but the most important function of adiponectin is the control of energy metabolism. The presence of adiponectin and its receptors in the structures responsible for the regulation of female reproductive functions, such as hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, indicates that adiponectin may be involved in the female fertility regulation. The growing body of evidence suggests also that adiponectin action is dependent on the actual and hormonal status of the animal. Present study presents the current knowledge about the presence and role of adiponectin system (adiponectin and its receptors: AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) in the ovaries, oviduct, and uterus, as well as in the hypothalamus and pituitary, the higher branches of HPG axis, involved in the female fertility regulation.