Placental melatonin system: functions and mechanisms of action

人的胎盘作为母体和胎儿生理的中心调节器。虽然褪黑激素在胎儿发育中的作用已经成为许多研究的主题，但其在胎盘生理学中的作用的数据很少。我们已经证明人类胎盘表达褪黑激素受体。我们还显示了胎盘滋养细胞中负责褪黑素合成和胎盘褪黑素生产的酶的存在和活性。这些结果强烈表明，褪黑素及其受体在胎盘功能和发育以及妊娠和胎儿健康中具有重要的旁分泌、自分泌和/或分泌作用。然而，褪黑素在胎盘功能和发育中的作用仍不清楚。因此，我们的研究计划旨在阐明褪黑素及其受体在胎盘内分泌功能和滋养细胞发育中的作用和细胞机制。也就是说，为了更好地理解这种色氨酸衍生的激素及其受体在胎盘健康中的作用，以及妊娠健康和胎儿发育的后果，并开发一种新的人类细胞模型来研究褪黑素及其受体对正常和异常细胞过程的调节和功能，并为这些领域的各种疾病，包括产科并发症，抑郁症，癌症，神经退行性疾病。

The human placenta acts as a central regulator of maternal and fetal physiology. Although the role of melatonin on fetal development has been the subject of a number of studies, data on its role in placental physiology are scarce. We have demonstrated that human placenta expresses melatonin receptors. We have also shown the presence and activity of the enzymes responsible for melatonin synthesis and placental melatonin production in placental trophoblast cells. These results strongly suggest an important paracrine, autocrine and/or intracrine role for melatonin and its receptors in placental function and development and, consequently, in pregnancy and fetal health. However, the role of melatonin in placental function and development is still obscure. Thus, our research program aims to elucidate the role and cellular mechanism of melatonin and its receptors in placental endocrine function as well as on trophoblast development. That is, to better understand the role of this trypthophan-derived hormone and its receptors in placental health, and by consequence in pregnancy well-being and fetal development and to develop a new human cellular model to study the regulation and function of melatonin and its receptors on normal and abnormal cellular processes and open the way for new preventive and therapeutic approaches in these areas for variety of disorders including obstetric complications, depression, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.