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The apelinergic system, which includes the apelin receptor (APJ) as well as its two specific ligands, namely apelin and ELABELA (ELA/APELA/Toddler), have been the subject of many recent studies due to their pleiotropic effects in humans and other animals. Expression of these factors has been investigated in numerous tissues and organs—for example, the lungs, heart, uterus, and ovary. Moreover, a number of studies have been devoted to understanding the role of apelin and the entire apelinergic system in the most important processes in the body, starting from early stages of human life with regulation of placental function and the proper course of pregnancy. Disturbances in the balance of placental processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, or hormone secretion may lead to specific pregnancy pathologies; therefore, there is a great need to search for substances that would help in their early diagnosis or treatment. A number of studies have indicated that compounds of the apelinergic system could serve this purpose. Hence, in this review, we summarized the most important reports about the role of apelin and the entire apelinergic system in the regulation of placental physiology and pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Spexin (SPX) is a newly identified neuropeptide, a natural ligand for the galanin receptors (GALR) 2/3, which is involved in maintaining physiological functions including female reproduction. One of the most common endocrine disorder in reproductive system is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), however the role of SPX in PCOS is still unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the expression of mRNA and peptide levels of SPX and its receptors GALR2/3 in the hypothalamus and ovary (by real time PCR and Western blot) as well as plasma levels of SPX (ELISA) in letrozole - induced PCOS rats. We observed that SPX plasma level does not change in PCOS rats. In the hypothalamus transcript level of Spx and Galr3 were significantly higher in PCOS rats compared to the control, while mRNA of Galr2 and protein expression of GALR2/3 were lower. Moreover, expression of Spx and Galr2/ 3 mRNA as well as GALR2/3 peptide production were lower in the ovary of PCOS rats. In summary, while our results did not show differences in plasma SPX levels, we observed tissue-dependent significant differences in the SPX/GALR2/3 levels between PCOS and control rats, what indicates possible new mechanisms of PCOS neuroendocrinology. • SPX plasma level does not change in PCOS rats. • Hypothalami mRNA of Spx and Galr3 were higher in PCOS rats. • Ovarian expression of Spx and Galr2/ 3 mRNA and GALR2/3 protein were lower in the PCOS rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]