Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is an ancestral molecule that was isolated from sheep hypothalamic extracts based on its action to stimulate cAMP production by pituitary cell cultures. PACAP is one of a number of ligands that coordinate with GnRH to control reproduction. While initially viewed as a hypothalamic releasing factor, PACAP and its receptors are widely distributed, and there is growing evidence that PACAP functions as a paracrine/autocrine regulator in the CNS, pituitary, gonads and placenta, among other tissues. This review will summarize current knowledge concerning the expression and function of PACAP in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis with special emphasis on its role in pituitary function in the fetus and newborn.

垂体腺苷酸环化酶激活多肽 (PACAP) 是一种祖先分子，根据其刺激垂体细胞培养物产生 cAMP 的作用，从绵羊下丘脑提取物中分离出来。PACAP 是与 GnRH 协调控制繁殖的众多配体之一。虽然最初被视为下丘脑释放因子，但 PACAP 及其受体分布广泛，并且越来越多的证据表明 PACAP 在中枢神经系统、垂体、性腺和胎盘等组织中起到旁分泌/自分泌调节剂的作用。本综述将总结目前关于下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴中 PACAP 表达和功能的知识，特别强调其在胎儿和新生儿垂体功能中的作用。