Regulating Hormones and Enhancing Reproductive Health with Kisspeptin

Kisspeptin is a critical protein for regulating reproductive hormones in our bodies. It manages the menstrual cycle, sperm production, and sexual development.

Hormonal imbalances can lead to issues like irregular periods, infertility, and mood disorders. It can affect fertility and libido in men.

Kisspeptin may be the answer infertile couples seek due to its therapeutic uses. How does the neuropeptide do that? Let’s learn about kisspeptin and how it influences hormone levels and reproductive health.

The science behind kisspeptin and hormone regulation

Kisspeptin is a neuropeptide in the nervous system. The kisspeptin 1 (KISS1) gene in the hypothalamus produces the neuropeptide.

Kisspeptin acts on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, which controls the reproductive hormones. The neuropeptide is vital for men’s and women’s reproductive health. It triggers puberty and influences sexual desire and patterns.

The neuropeptide supports mature egg development and improves sperm quality. It also plays a role in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Kisspeptin binds to a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) called GPR54/KISS1R. This function stimulates gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) production in the endocrine system.

GnRH activates the production of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).

GnRH is essential to your reproductive health. The hormone is critical to your sex drive, sexual maturity, and fertility.

GnRH stimulates estrogen and progesterone production in the female reproductive system. The hormones are vital for ovulation and conception.

Your body releases a higher estradiol level in the middle of your menstrual cycle. This estrogen type increases GnRH production. The higher hormone level decreases FSH and raises LH, causing ovulation.

GnRH boosts the production of the following in the male reproductive system:

• Luteinizing hormone, that influences the level of testosterone and androgens in the body.
• Follicle-stimulating hormone, which impacts sperm production.

Raised GnRH levels may increase your risk of pituitary adenomas. These benign tumors can cause excess FSH and LH production. The body produces too much estrogen or testosterone.

High GnRH levels in children may result in early puberty.

Low GnRH levels may cause the following conditions in both sexes:

• Delayed sexual maturity and puberty
• Infertility
• Low sex drive

Females may experience abnormal menstruation or missed periods and no ovulation. Males might face testicular disorders like Kallman syndrome.

KISS1 mutations may lead to infertility problems. Problems with kisspeptin levels can cause polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and infertility.

Kisspeptin levels can also help identify preeclampsia, restricted fetal growth, and miscarriage.

Researchers are studying the neuropeptide’s role in influencing sexual patterns and desires.

Evidence suggests that kisspeptin has therapeutic potential. Acute use could stimulate reproductive hormone release better than conventional methods. The neuropeptide might also trigger LH pulses to treat women with anovulatory infertility.

The neuropeptide suppresses fertility in people with under- or severe over-nutrition. This function allows the body to adapt to reproduction based on available energy resources.

Recent research shows that energy balance affects kisspeptin. The balance between calorie intake and energy expenditure is vital for reproductive health.

Studies show the neuropeptide’s signaling is critical for normal metabolic function. Mice without the neuropeptide show increased fat mass and lower energy expenditure.

Kisspeptin’s influence on reproductive health

The reproductive system works through signals from the brain and hormones. This involves three parts:

• The anterior hypothalamus produces and releases GnRH in pulses.
• The anterior pituitary gland responds to GnRH by releasing LH and FSH.
• Gonads produce sex hormones and gametes (like eggs and sperm).

Sex hormones send signals back to the hypothalamus to help control GnRH release. This connection is the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis.

Estrogens can influence the release of GnRH in both positive and negative ways. Kisspeptin neurons might be responsible for this function.

Kisspeptin’s role in fertility and metabolism

Your body’s energy balance affects reproduction. Your reproductive system doesn’t work well when you have too little food or energy. 

Women with anorexia nervosa may miss their periods. Men experience low testosterone levels. Short-term and long-term lack of energy can impair fertility.

Excess energy in the body can negatively affect reproduction. Animal studies show that obesity can affect sperm quality by reducing sperm motility.

Overweight and obese women are also at risk of infertility. These women have poor conception rates, high miscarriage rates, and pregnancy complications. Obesity can cause disruptions in puberty and irregularities in testosterone production and ovulation.

Kisspeptin plays a role in metabolism, affecting food intake and controlling blood sugar. Overweight people and diabetics have a lower level of the neuropeptide. This finding suggests a connection between metabolic health and reproductive function.

Therapeutic potential of kisspeptin for hormonal imbalances

Researchers are studying kisspeptin’s hormone regulation potential. Their findings reveal positive results for the following conditions:

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a leading cause of infertility that affects women of reproductive age. Symptoms of the condition include:

• hormonal imbalances
• excess androgen levels
• irregular periods
• cysts in the ovaries

Irregular periods can make it hard for women to become pregnant. Women with PCOS are more likely to have type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. They also have a greater risk of heart disease and cancer of the inner lining of the uterus.

Women with PCOS may have higher levels of testosterone, estrogen, LH, and insulin. The higher kisspeptin levels in infertile patients suggest PCOS causes overactive KISS1.

Insulin resistance is common in women with PCOS, affecting 35% to 80% of them. The body makes more of the hormone to compensate for the problem. This extra production can cause reproductive health problems.

Enhanced insulin sensitivity and LH levels may restore reproductive health in such cases.

Mood and emotional health

Many people face emotional issues when there’s a hormonal imbalance.

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) affects 10% of American women. The symptom is a recurrent or persistent absence of sexual fantasies and desire for sex. People with the problem usually experience distress or interpersonal issues.

HSDD may come on at any time. It may occur in some situations or be a long-term issue.

HSDD symptoms include:

• little or no sexual thoughts or desire
• experiencing no interest in masturbation
• inability to experience arousal or achieve orgasm
• being not responsive to sexual signals
• loss of erectile or ejaculatory function in men

Causes of HSDD include: 

• low testosterone or estrogen levels
• anxiety or depression
• stress
• past sexual abuse or trauma
• body image issues
• cancer, diabetes, heart disease, thyroid disorders, or kidney problems
• side effects from antidepressants, blood pressure medication, and chemotherapy
• menopause

Researchers say kisspeptin could treat HSDD by boosting sexual response. Participants had more sexual brain processing than those who didn’t take the hormone.

Kisspeptin appears to suppress overactive areas related to overthinking. This releases the brake on sexual arousal.

Current research and clinical trials on kisspeptin

Understanding kisspeptin could lead to more therapeutic applications. It’s vital to learn which tissues it affects during puberty, fertility, pregnancy, and menopause.

Animal studies show that kisspeptin may regulate insulin secretion. More in vivo studies are necessary to understand the neuropeptide’s action in the liver, pancreas, and fat tissue.

Human studies show that taking high kisspeptin doses for a long time can reduce sex hormones. This makes high-dose kisspeptin treatments useful in treating cancers caused by sex hormones.

Researchers are studying how kisspeptin can lower testosterone levels to treat prostate cancer. Early results from the first round of human trials look promising.

A limitation of the behavioral studies so far is that scientists only studied one sex. We need more research to explore the differences between males and females.

Applications of Kisspeptin in reproductive health and medicine

Infertility is a global problem. That’s a condition in which couples can’t get pregnant after trying for at least a year. The World Health Organisation estimates that it affects 15% of reproductive-aged couples worldwide.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment involves the following stages:

• egg development
• egg maturation
• fertilization
• implantation in the womb

Fertility doctors collect mature eggs from ovaries and fertilize them using sperm in a lab. They then place the embryos in the uterus, where babies develop.

The procedure usually uses a couple’s own eggs and sperm or that from a donor. It may involve a gestational carrier — someone who carries the embryo in her uterus.

During IVF, doctors give FSH hormone to make the ovaries produce many eggs. They also use medicines to block or lower the body’s natural hormone signals. This gives the eggs enough time to grow to the right size before collection.

Doctors then use a hormone trigger to help the eggs develop and be ready for collection. The surgical retrieval of oocytes occurs when they mature but before release.

The hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) helps eggs mature in conventional IVF treatment. A potential side effect of this method is ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS).

hCG causes excessive stimulation of the LH receptor, resulting in OHSS. Up to 2% of all patients endure severe symptoms, but women with PCOS face a higher risk.

Research shows that kisspeptin may be a safer and more effective alternative to hCG. The neuropeptide stimulates ovulation during IVF treatment and does not cause OHSS.

Studies indicate that a subcutaneous kisspeptin-54 injection is enough to cause egg maturation. Trials also show that the hormone isn’t harmful and doesn’t affect the reproductive process.

The future of Kisspeptin research in hormone regulation

Studies show that kisspeptin-54 (KP54) treats reproductive disorders. Now, researchers are studying MVT-602. The drug helps kisspeptin boost hormones involved in fertility, sexual development, and menstruation.

The results show that MVT-602 produced stronger and longer-lasting effects than KP54. This finding suggests that the drug may effectively treat reproductive conditions. The issues include polycystic ovary syndrome and hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA).

The drug boosts reproductive hormone levels needed to restore reproductive health. Since MVT-602 lasts much longer than KP54, you use it less often to get the best results.

Kisspeptin’s promise for reproductive and hormonal health

The brain produces kisspeptin to control reproduction. It triggers the onset of puberty and controls ovulation and may play a vital role in IVF treatments.

Kisspeptin may also treat reproductive conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome and hypothalamic amenorrhea.

More research is necessary to learn how kisspeptin can improve human reproductive health.

Check out our website for more information about kisspeptin and other beneficial peptides.