Figure 9.

Putative signalling model for leptin-induced human myometrial cell proliferation. Leptin 6.25 ng·mL⁻¹ is able to induce human myometrial cell proliferation via activation of the ERK1/2 signalling pathway, in an leptin receptor (OB-R)-dependent manner. At 25 ng·mL⁻¹, leptin is able to bind both the IL-6 and leptin receptors. Leptin 25 ng·mL⁻¹ induces the pro-inflammatory NF-κB pathway, which is supposed to inhibit leptin receptor signalling and thus to inhibit proliferation. Leptin 50 ng·mL⁻¹ is able to induce the anti-proliferative NF-κB signalling pathway and the pro-proliferative STAT3/ERK1/2 pathway, in an IL-6 receptor-dependent manner, resulting in the proliferation of human myometrial cells.