From Placenta to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: The Role of Adipokines

Table 1

Site of production and relationship of adipokines with inflammation and metabolic and reproductive function.

Adipokine	Site of production	Relationship with inflammation	Relationship with metabolic functions	Relationship with reproductive function
Adiponectin	Adipocytes; Placenta; Osteoblasts; Cardiomyocytes	Anti-inflammatory functions [30–33]	Fatty acid oxidation [22]; Insulin sensitivity [24]; Glucose metabolism [24–29]	Pubertal onset and regulation [104, 105]
Leptin	Adipose tissue; Placenta	Regulation of immune response [34]	Regulation of food intake, lipid and glucose metabolism [37, 38]	Regulation of gonadotropin secretion [39–41]
Resistin	Peripheral-blood mononuclear cells; Placenta	Regulation of inflammatory response [43, 48, 50]	Insulin resistance [44–46]	Ovarian function and PCOS [55]
Visfatin	Adipose tissue; Liver; Muscle; Kidney; Heart; Bone marrow; Placenta	Regulation of inflammatory responses [51]	Insulin resistance; Glucose metabolism [52]	Ovarian function and PCOS [55]