From adolescence to adulthood, a woman goes through distinct phases in her life. The role of leptin in this journey is very crucial, as it supports her to cross different milestones in time. Leptin is an indispensable factor for the metabolic control of puberty, fertility and pregnancy. Puberty is a chronic biological process that helps transform a child to an adult. In this process, sufficient amount of leptin is necessary for the initiation of puberty in girls. Apart from maintaining the energy homeostasis by regulating the food intake and energy expenditure, it also regulates various other hormones required for reproduction and regulation of endocrine system. Malfunction of leptin alters the neuroendocrine pathways and causes detrimental effect in reproductive disorders, such as PCOS, obesity, diabetes, anorexia and infertility which are the most important intimation for female reproductive health worldwide. In this article, we aim to provide a synoptic view on the roles of leptin in the metabolic regulation of the reproductive axis, its hormonal regulations, permissive role for the onset of puberty, continuity of menstrual cycle and the putative roles of leptin during gestation, including its potential function as placental hormone in a female.
Key words: Leptin, puberty, fertility, energy homeostasis, obesity, pregnancy, menopause
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