Petraglia F, de Micheroux A A, Florio P, Salvatori M, Gallinelli A, Cela V, Palumbo M A, Genazzani A R
Department of Gynecological, Obstetric and Pediatric Sciences, University of Modena, School of Medicine, Italy.
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1995 Jun;53(1-6):227-31. doi: 10.1016/0960-0760(95)00052-2.
Human placenta produces a large variety of bioactive substances with endocrine and neural competence: pituitary and gonadal hormones, hypothalamic-like releasing or inhibiting hormones, growth factors, cytokines and neuropeptides. The most recent findings indicate that locally produced hormones regulate the secretion of other placental hormones supporting a paracrine/autocrine regulation. In placental endocrinology, a particular relevance is played by steroid hormones. In fact, a specific gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) regulation of placental steroidogenesis has been proposed as a placental internal regulatory system acting on steroids production from human placenta. In addition, activin and inhibin have been proposed as further regulatory substances of the synthesis and secretion of steroids; the addition of activin A to placental culture augments GnRH, hCG and progesterone, and this effect can be significantly reduced by the addition of inhibins. Finally, a steroid-steroid interaction is suggested by the evidence that placental estrogen has a positive role in the regulation of progesterone biosynthesis. Other steroid-protein interactions have been observed in human placenta. In fact, recent data indicate that progesterone inhibits placental corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and estrogens act on placental conversion of cortisol to cortisone, activating cortisol secretion by the fetal adrenal and enhancing fetal adrenal function with advancing gestation.
垂体和性腺激素、下丘脑样释放或抑制激素、生长因子、细胞因子和神经肽。最新研究结果表明，局部产生的激素可调节其他胎盘激素的分泌，支持旁分泌/自分泌调节。在胎盘内分泌学中，类固醇激素具有特殊的重要性。事实上，一种特定的促性腺激素释放激素（GnRH）-人绒毛膜促性腺激素（hCG）对胎盘类固醇生成的调节作用已被提出，作为一种作用于人类胎盘类固醇产生的胎盘内部调节系统。此外，激活素和抑制素已被提出作为类固醇合成和分泌的进一步调节物质；向胎盘培养物中添加激活素A可增加GnRH、hCG和孕酮，而添加抑制素可显著降低这种作用。最后，有证据表明胎盘雌激素在孕酮生物合成的调节中起积极作用，提示存在类固醇-类固醇相互作用。在人类胎盘中还观察到其他类固醇-蛋白质相互作用。事实上，最近的数据表明，孕酮可抑制胎盘促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF），雌激素可作用于胎盘将皮质醇转化为可的松的过程，通过激活胎儿肾上腺皮质醇分泌并随着妊娠进展增强胎儿肾上腺功能。
