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Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Evaluation of Hepatic Glucose Production in a Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Mouse Model
Published on: March 5, 2022
Hepatokines: the missing link in the development of insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism in PCOS?
Katerina Stefanaki1, Ioannis Ilias2, Stavroula A Paschou1
1Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Alexandra" Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Abstract:
The liver plays a critical role in several metabolic pathways, including the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, is closely associated with insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Hepatokines, newly discovered proteins secreted by hepatocytes, have been linked to the induction of these metabolic dysregulations. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, has been associated with NAFLD and IR, while hyperandrogenism additionally appears to be implicated in the pathogenesis of the latter. However, the potential role of hepatokines in the development of metabolic disorders in PCOS has not been fully investigated. Therefore, the aim of this review is to critically appraise the current evidence regarding the interplay of hepatokines with NAFLD, hyperandrogenism, and IR in PCOS.
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