Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, Imperial College London, UK; Department of Endocrinology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.
Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, Imperial College London, UK.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2021 Jul;129:105244. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105244. Epub 2021 Apr 26.
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a key inhibitory neurotransmitter that has been implicated in the aetiology of common mood and behavioural disorders. By employing proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in man, we demonstrate that administration of the reproductive neuropeptide, kisspeptin, robustly decreases GABA levels in the limbic system of the human brain; specifically the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). This finding defines a novel kisspeptin-activated GABA pathway in man, and provides important mechanistic insights into the mood and behaviour-altering effects of kisspeptin seen in rodents and humans. In addition, this work has therapeutic implications as it identifies GABA-signalling as a potential target for the escalating development of kisspeptin-based therapies for common reproductive disorders of body and mind.
γ-氨基丁酸(GABA)是一种关键的抑制性神经递质,与常见的情绪和行为障碍的发病机制有关。通过在人体中使用质子磁共振波谱技术,我们证明生殖神经肽 kisspeptin 的给药可显著降低人脑边缘系统中的 GABA 水平;特别是在前扣带皮层(ACC)。这一发现定义了人类中 kisspeptin 激活的 GABA 途径,为在啮齿动物和人类中观察到的 kisspeptin 对情绪和行为的改变提供了重要的机制见解。此外,这项工作具有治疗意义,因为它确定了 GABA 信号作为潜在的目标,以开发基于 kisspeptin 的治疗常见身心生殖障碍的疗法。