Pigny P, Dewailly D, Racadot A, Boersma A
Laboratoire d'Endocrinologie, Clinique Marc Linquette, CHRU de Lille.
Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 1996;57(5):385-94.
Inhibins and activins are structurally-related dimeric proteins mainly produced by the gonads (Sertoli cells and granulosa cells) under the stimulation of pituitary FSH. Inhibins are 32-kD glycoproteins consisting of an alpha subunit and one of two beta subunits (beta A or beta B) leading to inhibin A or B, respectively. Activins are made of two beta subunits either identical (activin A or B) or not (activin AB). These regulatory peptides are involved in an endocrine feedback loop: inhibins decrease and activins stimulate the biosynthesis and release of pituitary FSH selectively. Beside their endocrine action that has led to the discovery of these peptides, we report main experimental data showing that activins and inhibins may act as paracrine and autocrine factors within the gonads on an antagonistic mode. Inhibins and activins seem to be involved in the regulation of spermatogenesis in males and in follicular maturation in females. Potential involvements of inhibins and activins in the pathophysiology of reproduction are discussed.
抑制素和激活素是结构相关的二聚体蛋白，主要由性腺（支持细胞和颗粒细胞）在垂体促卵泡激素的刺激下产生。抑制素是32-kD糖蛋白，由一个α亚基和两个β亚基（βA或βB）之一组成，分别形成抑制素A或B。激活素由两个相同（激活素A或B）或不同（激活素AB）的β亚基组成。这些调节肽参与一个内分泌反馈回路：抑制素减少，而激活素选择性地刺激垂体促卵泡激素的生物合成和释放。除了导致这些肽被发现的内分泌作用外，我们报告了主要的实验数据，表明激活素和抑制素可能以拮抗模式作为性腺内的旁分泌和自分泌因子发挥作用。抑制素和激活素似乎参与男性精子发生和女性卵泡成熟的调节。文中还讨论了抑制素和激活素在生殖病理生理学中的潜在作用。
