- Messages
- 59
- Reaction score
- 34
- Points
- 18
What is kisspeptin?
Kisspeptin is a protein present in the hypothalamus (a part of the brain that controls the release of several important hormones in the body). Kisspeptin plays a major role in the control of reproductive hormones in both men and women. Specifically, kisspeptin regulates the release of ‘gonadotrophin releasing hormone’ (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. GnRH, in turn, stimulates the release of the hormones, luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) from the pituitary gland, into the blood stream. These two hormones act on the testes in men and ovaries in women to produce sex-steroids, namely testosterone in men and oestradiol in women. Testosterone and oestradiol are the hormones responsible for the physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty in order to transition into adulthood.Kisspeptin has a non-hormonal role too and was originally named ‘metastin’ due its ability to prevent the spread of cancer (metastasis).
