Involvement of adipokines, AMPK, PI3K and the PPAR signaling pathways in ovarian follicle development and cancer

Abstract

The physiological mechanisms that control energy balance are reciprocally linked to those that control reproduction, and together, these mechanisms optimize reproductive success under fluctuating metabolic conditions. Adipose tissue plays an important role in this regulation. Indeed, it releases a variety of factors, termed adipokines that regulate energy metabolism, but also reproductive functions. This article summarizes the function and regulation of some bettercharacterized adipokines (leptin, adiponectin, resistin, visfatin, chemerin and apelin) involved in ovarian follicle development. The follicle appears to use various "nutrient sensing" mechanisms that may form the link between nutrient status and folliculogenesis. This review examines evidence for the presence of pathways that may sense nutrient flux from within the follicle including the PI3K/ Akt pathway, adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK), and peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptors (PPARs). It also reviews current information on the role of these adipokines and signalling pathways in ovarian cancers.

Associations of Serum Isoflavone, Adiponectin and Insulin Levels with Risk for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Results of a Case-control Study

“…Although epidemiological studies on the association between serum adiponectin levels and ovarian cancer risk have been scarcely reported, as far as our knowledge, adipokines signaling pathways were suggested to be involved in ovarian follicle development and ovarian cancer (Dupont, et al, 2012). Furthermore, low adiponectin antagonizes many effects of TNF-α, and have been recognized as a key regulator of insulin sensitivity and tissue inflammation (Lihn et al, 2005, Fantuzzi, 2005.…”

Gene selection heuristic algorithm for nutrigenomics studies

“…The LEM could thus apply to any such variable such as animals, plants, or bacteria, in vivo or in vitro biological systems, at the cellular or subcellular level (mitochondria for example), as long as these variables are measurable, even at a single cell level (22). On the basis of recent studies, when these "nongenic" variables happen to be metabolites, they could be those of interest for animal or vegetal physiology (6,30), disease (14), or development but also animal or vegetal stem cell fate (20,26,33).…”

“…If the theoretical value of kϩ1 ,..., p is zero, then for a big enough n Ϫ 2k, the real random variable Z associated with this quantity is an estimation of the proximity to zero of kϩ1 ,..., p and it approximately follows a (pϪk)(qϪk) 2 law. If Z takes the value z k , assuming H 0 , the probability to observe a so large value of Z is P ͑ Z Ն z k ͒ ϭ P k (6) with P k significance level of the nullity of every term i , i ʦ ͠k ϩ 1, p͡. This P k is generally obtained by a reverse reading in the 2 table of fractiles, where…”

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors under epigenetic control in placental metabolism and fetal development

“…1) (43, 76). PPAR␥ was suggested to play a major role in normal ovarian function (23,118) by modulating oocyte maturation, ovulation, and processes essential to healthy ovarian function, including angiogenesis, prostaglandin production (72), inflammation, and cell cycle regulation (33). It should be stressed, however, that similar to the placenta, within all rodent and human reproductive organs, the three isoforms are not uniformly expressed but show cell type-specific and temporal variation (see Ref.…”