Placenta 34 (2013) 1257
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Placenta journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/placenta
Letter to the Editor
hCG physiology Letter to Editor The story of hCG has been developing and expanding since 100 years ago Bernard Aschner in Vienna stimulated the genital tract of guinea pigs with water-soluble extracts of the human placenta [1]. In 1927, Ascheim and Zondek demonstrated that pregnant women produce a gonad-stimulating hormone, which enhances progesterone production by the corpus luteum [2]. Since that time, hCG has been implicated in suppressing immune responses to protect the feto-placental unit, driving uterine artery and umbilical circulation growth, promoting uterine growth, and suppressing preterm uterine contractions while permitting them at parturition. In addition, hCG influences the maternal brain stem, causing morning sickness, it communicates between the blastocyst and the uterine pre-implantation endometrium, and it promotes cytotrophoblast differentiation [3e6]. Cytotrophoblast hyperglycosylated hCG is a glycosylation variant of hCG with completely independent functions, acting on a cytotrophoblast TGFb receptor [6e8]. Hyperglycosylated hCG promotes cytotrophoblast invasion and blastocyst implantation [6e8]. It also controls placental development and growth during pregnancy. Fetal hCG, made in the liver and kidney, may modulate fetal organ development during pregnancy [4e6]. Lastly, hCG may have a role outside of pregnancy, during the menstrual cycle and even in certain human cancers [6e8]. It is my impression that this highly important hormone has not received sufficient attention by scientists or authors of major
0143-4004/$ e see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.placenta.2013.02.011
textbooks. As a scientist who made major contributions to the discovery and functional analysis of hyperglycosylated hCG and hCG free b-subunit, I sincerely hope that my letter will stimulate greatly needed interest in this molecule. References [1] Aschner B. Ueber die function der hypophyse. Pflug Arch Gest Physiol 1912;146: 1e147. [2] Aschheim S, Zondek B. Das Hormon des hypophysenvorderlappens: testobjekt zum Nachweis des hormons. Klin Wochenschr 1927;6:248e52. [3] Pierce JG, Parsons TF. Glycoprotein hormones: structure and function. Annu Rev Biochem 1981;50:65e95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.bi.50.070181.002341. [4] Rao CV. Paradigm shift on the targets of hCG actions. In: Cole LA, editor. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Oxford UK: Elsevier; 2010. p. 131e7. Chapter 11. [5] Rao CV. Nongonadal actions of LH and hCG in reproductive biology and medicine. Sem Reprod Med 2001;19:1e119. http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-2001-13906. [6] Cole LA. Biological functions of hCG and hCG-Related Molecules. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2010;8:102e16. [7] Cole LA. Hyperglycosylated hCG, a review. Placenta 2010;8:653e64. [8] Cole LA, Butler SA. Hyperglycosylated hCG, hCGß and hyperglycosylated hCGß: interchangeable cancer promoters. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2012;349:232e8.
L.A. Cole USA hCG Reference Service, University of New Mexico, Division of Women’s Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, G71 MSC10 5580, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87104, USA E-mail address: [email protected].
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Placenta journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/placenta
Letter to the Editor
hCG physiology Letter to Editor The story of hCG has been developing and expanding since 100 years ago Bernard Aschner in Vienna stimulated the genital tract of guinea pigs with water-soluble extracts of the human placenta [1]. In 1927, Ascheim and Zondek demonstrated that pregnant women produce a gonad-stimulating hormone, which enhances progesterone production by the corpus luteum [2]. Since that time, hCG has been implicated in suppressing immune responses to protect the feto-placental unit, driving uterine artery and umbilical circulation growth, promoting uterine growth, and suppressing preterm uterine contractions while permitting them at parturition. In addition, hCG influences the maternal brain stem, causing morning sickness, it communicates between the blastocyst and the uterine pre-implantation endometrium, and it promotes cytotrophoblast differentiation [3e6]. Cytotrophoblast hyperglycosylated hCG is a glycosylation variant of hCG with completely independent functions, acting on a cytotrophoblast TGFb receptor [6e8]. Hyperglycosylated hCG promotes cytotrophoblast invasion and blastocyst implantation [6e8]. It also controls placental development and growth during pregnancy. Fetal hCG, made in the liver and kidney, may modulate fetal organ development during pregnancy [4e6]. Lastly, hCG may have a role outside of pregnancy, during the menstrual cycle and even in certain human cancers [6e8]. It is my impression that this highly important hormone has not received sufficient attention by scientists or authors of major
0143-4004/$ e see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.placenta.2013.02.011
textbooks. As a scientist who made major contributions to the discovery and functional analysis of hyperglycosylated hCG and hCG free b-subunit, I sincerely hope that my letter will stimulate greatly needed interest in this molecule. References [1] Aschner B. Ueber die function der hypophyse. Pflug Arch Gest Physiol 1912;146: 1e147. [2] Aschheim S, Zondek B. Das Hormon des hypophysenvorderlappens: testobjekt zum Nachweis des hormons. Klin Wochenschr 1927;6:248e52. [3] Pierce JG, Parsons TF. Glycoprotein hormones: structure and function. Annu Rev Biochem 1981;50:65e95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.bi.50.070181.002341. [4] Rao CV. Paradigm shift on the targets of hCG actions. In: Cole LA, editor. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Oxford UK: Elsevier; 2010. p. 131e7. Chapter 11. [5] Rao CV. Nongonadal actions of LH and hCG in reproductive biology and medicine. Sem Reprod Med 2001;19:1e119. http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-2001-13906. [6] Cole LA. Biological functions of hCG and hCG-Related Molecules. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2010;8:102e16. [7] Cole LA. Hyperglycosylated hCG, a review. Placenta 2010;8:653e64. [8] Cole LA, Butler SA. Hyperglycosylated hCG, hCGß and hyperglycosylated hCGß: interchangeable cancer promoters. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2012;349:232e8.
L.A. Cole USA hCG Reference Service, University of New Mexico, Division of Women’s Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, G71 MSC10 5580, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87104, USA E-mail address: [email protected].
