The role of humanin in the regulation of reproduction

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta. General subjects Vol. 1866; no. 1; p. 130023
• Main Authors: Lei, Hui, Rao, Meng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.01.2022
• Subjects: apoptosis; contraception; Female; female fertility; Female reproduction; females; Fertility - physiology; Follicular Fluid - cytology; Follicular Fluid - metabolism; glucose; Humanin; Humans; Insulin resistance; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism; Male; Male reproduction; male sterility; males; metabolism; Ovary - metabolism; oxidative stress; peptides; Polycystic ovary syndrome; protective effect; Reproduction - physiology; Signal Transduction; Sperm quality; Testis - metabolism; Polycystic ovary syndrome; Insulin resistance; Sperm quality; Female reproduction; Male reproduction; Humanin
• ISSN: 0304-4165; 1872-8006; 1872-8006
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2021.130023

Humanin, a mitochondria-derived peptide, has been found to exert variously protective function in many tissues, especially in the nervous tissues. However, relatively limited studies have focused on the role of humanin in the regulation of reproduction. Current observations indicate that humanin plays an important role in regulating the response of the cell to oxidative stress and apoptosis in ovaries and testes via the modulation of several signaling pathways, especially when the body is in an abnormal state. Even so, the detailed mechanism of humanin function needs to be explored urgently. In this passage, we demonstrate how humanin exerts its protective role in female and male reproduction and raise several questions that need further investigations. Given humanin's new frontier for the design of novel therapeutic approaches for male infertility, male contraception, female infertility, and glucose metabolism in polycystic ovary syndrome, it is worthy of further study on its protective effects and clinical applications in reproductive function •Humanin was present in follicular fluid and these concentrations were correlated with the ovarian reserve.•Humanin could alleviate oxidative stress and insulin resistance in granulosa cells in PCOS.•Humanin could protect germ cell from apoptosis induced by testicular stress.