Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Sciences Building, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Endocrinology. 2010 Aug;151(8):3479-89. doi: 10.1210/en.2010-0022. Epub 2010 May 25.
Recently, a subset of neurons was identified in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus that colocalize three neuropeptides, kisspeptin, neurokinin B, and dynorphin, each of which has been shown to play a critical role in the central control of reproduction. Growing evidence suggests that these neurons, abbreviated as the KNDy subpopulation, are strongly conserved across a range of species from rodents to humans and play a key role in the physiological regulation of GnRH neurons. KNDy cells are a major target for steroid hormones, form a reciprocally interconnected network, and have direct projections to GnRH cell bodies and terminals, features that position them well to convey steroid feedback control to GnRH neurons and potentially serve as a component of the GnRH pulse generator. In addition, recent work suggests that alterations in KNDy cell peptides may underlie neuroendocrine defects seen in clinical reproductive disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome. Taken together, this evidence suggests a key role for the KNDy subpopulation as a focal point in the control of reproductive function in health and disease.
最近，在下丘脑弓状核中鉴定出了一组神经元亚群，它们共表达三种神经肽：促性腺激素释放激素（kisspeptin）、神经激肽 B（neurokinin B）和强啡肽（dynorphin），这三种神经肽都被证明在生殖的中枢控制中起着关键作用。越来越多的证据表明，这些神经元，缩写为 KNDy 亚群，在从啮齿动物到人类的多种物种中都得到了强烈的保守，并且在 GnRH 神经元的生理调节中起着关键作用。KNDy 细胞是类固醇激素的主要靶点，形成一个相互交织的网络，并有直接投射到 GnRH 细胞体和末梢的投射，这些特征使它们能够很好地将类固醇反馈控制传递给 GnRH 神经元，并可能作为 GnRH 脉冲发生器的一个组成部分。此外，最近的研究表明，KNDy 细胞肽的改变可能是多囊卵巢综合征等临床生殖障碍中神经内分泌缺陷的基础。综上所述，这些证据表明 KNDy 亚群作为健康和疾病中生殖功能控制的焦点，起着关键作用。
