卵泡刺激素新的代谢调控功能及对衰老的影响

Follicle-stimulating hormone: new roles in metabolic regulation and aging

卵泡刺激素(follicle-stimulating hormone, FSH)曾一度被认为只在生殖过程中发挥作用:促进女性卵泡的发育和成熟及男性精子的生成;然而近十年来,大量研究不断发现FSH在代谢调控中发挥新的功能,甚至对衰老产生影响。FSH通过与其受体(FSH receptor, FSHR)结合调节两性的骨质生成、脂肪代谢、能量代谢和胆固醇生成、心血管疾病的发生。FSH代谢调控作用提示阻断FSH对治疗一系列与年龄相关的疾病,包括骨质疏松症、肥胖症、血脂异常、心血管疾病,甚至预防衰老有潜在价值。

Follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH) was once thought to play a role only in reproduction, promoting follicle development and maturation in women and spermgenesis in men. However, in recent ten years, FSH has been found to have new functions on metabolic regulation and aging. FSH regulates bone formation, fat metabolism, energy homeostasis, cholesterol production and cardiovascular disease by binding with its receptor FSHR. These newly discovered regulatory roles of FSH are exciting, as it is suggested that blocking FSH may have potential translational impacts on treatments of a series of age-related diseases, including osteoporosis, obesity, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease.