Interaction Between Energy Homeostasis and Reproduction: Central Effects of Leptin and Ghrelin on the Reproductive Axis

Reproductive maturation and function are sensitive to the metabolic state of the organism and the magnitude of body fuel reserves; hence, conditions ranging from energy insufficiency to morbid obesity impact the timing of puberty and are frequently linked to fertility problems. This phenomenon is the result of the close interplay between a diversity of nutritional cues and metabolic signals (including hormones) with different elements of the so-called hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. In this review, we will focus our attention on the reproductive' roles of 2 key metabolic hormones, namely, the adipose signal, leptin, and the gut hormone, ghrelin. These 2 factors, which have been proposed to operate as functional antagonists in the control of metabolism and energy homeostasis, are also provided with important, and in many cases opposite, roles in the regulation of puberty onset and gonadal function. We will provide herein an update view of the reproductive effects of leptin and ghrelin, with a major emphasis on the actions of these 2 key hormones upon the central elements of the HPG axis, including their putative effects on Kiss1 and other reproductive neuronal networks. This will help to understand the mechanisms whereby reproductive function is gated and dynamically regulated by metabolic signals at different key developmental stages, such as puberty and adulthood.