Kalantaridou Sophia N, Makrigiannakis Antonis, Zoumakis Emmanouil, Chrousos George P
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece.
Am J Reprod Immunol. 2004 Apr;51(4):269-74. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0897.2004.00155.x.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis exerts a complex, mostly inhibitory, effect on the female reproductive system. In addition, the principal regulator of this axis, the hypothalamic neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and its receptors have been identified in most female reproductive tissues, including the ovary, uterus, and placenta. Furthermore, CRH is secreted in peripheral inflammatory sites where it exerts strong inflammatory actions. Antalarmins (CRH receptor type 1 antagonists) have been used to elucidate the roles of CRH in stress, inflammation and reproduction.
We review existing data on the effects of CRH in the female reproductive system.
Ovarian CRH participates in female sex steroid production, follicular maturation, ovulation and luteolysis. Uterine CRH participates in decidualization, implantation, and early maternal tolerance. Placental CRH participates in the physiology of pregnancy and the onset of parturition. Circulating placental CRH is secreted mostly during the latter half of pregnancy and is responsible for the concurrently increasing physiologic hypercortisolism of this period. After labor and delivery, this hypercortisolism is ensued by a transient suppression of hypothalamic CRH secretion, which may explain the postpartum blues and depression and the increased autoimmune manifestations depression of period, the postpartum period.
These data show that CRH is present in female reproductive tissues, and is regulating key reproductive functions with an inflammatory component, such as ovulation, luteolysis, implantation, and parturition.
下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴对女性生殖系统发挥着复杂的、大多为抑制性的作用。此外，该轴的主要调节因子——下丘脑神经肽促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素（CRH）及其受体已在包括卵巢、子宫和胎盘在内的大多数女性生殖组织中被鉴定出来。此外，CRH在外周炎症部位分泌，在那里它发挥强烈的炎症作用。抗警报素（1型CRH受体拮抗剂）已被用于阐明CRH在应激、炎症和生殖中的作用。
我们回顾了关于CRH在女性生殖系统中作用的现有数据。
卵巢CRH参与女性性类固醇的产生、卵泡成熟、排卵和黄体溶解。子宫CRH参与蜕膜化、着床和早期母体耐受性。胎盘CRH参与妊娠生理和分娩发动。循环中的胎盘CRH大多在妊娠后半期分泌，并导致该时期生理性高皮质醇血症同时增加。分娩后，这种高皮质醇血症会伴随着下丘脑CRH分泌的短暂抑制，这可能解释了产后情绪低落和抑郁以及产后时期自身免疫表现增加的原因。
这些数据表明CRH存在于女性生殖组织中，并调节着具有炎症成分的关键生殖功能，如排卵、黄体溶解、着床和分娩。
