human placental lactogen

lactogen /lac·to·gen/ (lak´to-jen) any substance that enhances lactation.

---

human placental lactogen  a hormone secreted by the placenta; it has lactogenic, luteotropic, and growth-promoting activity, and inhibits maternal insulin activity.

---

human placental lactogen

n. Abbr. HPL

A hormone that is isolated from human placentas, that has a biological activity that weakly mimics the activity of somatropin and prolactin, and that is secreted into maternal circulation. Also called chorionic growth hormone-prolactin, human chorionic somatomammotropic hormone, placental growth hormone.

---

human placental lactogen (HPL),

a placental hormone that may be deficient in certain abnormalities of pregnancy. The normal concentrations of this hormone in serum after the fifth week of pregnancy are 0.5 μg/mL and increase to approximately 8 μg/mL at the time of delivery. Also called chorionic somatomammotropin.

---

human placental lactogen

Chorionic somatomammotropin, hPL, human placental lactogen, human chorionic somatomammotropin A hormone produced during implantation of a fertilized egg, and secreted by the placenta; hPL regulates and coordinates fetal growth and metabolism and maternal metabolism Maternal effects Relative insulin resistance, ↑ circulating free fatty acids; hPL may optimize metabolism of nutrients by the fetus in 1^st half of pregnancy; in 2^nd half, there is little correlation between hPL levels and fetal well-being; hPL stimulates milk production and breast enlargement, and is somatotopic and luteotropic; urine and plasma HPL levels reflect placental size and are higher in diabetic mothers Ref range Rises during gestation, plateauing at 37 wks at 10 mg/mL; ♂ <0.5 mg/mL; non-pregnant ♀ <0.5 mg/mL; wks of gestation 5-27 <4.6 mg/mL; 28-31 wks, 2.4-6.1 mg/mL; 32-35 wks, 3.7-7.7 mg/mL; 36 wks to term, 5-8.6 mg/mL; hPL is ↓ in postmaturity syndrome, retarded growth, toxemia of pregnancy, threatened abortion; it is ↑ DM, Rh isoimmunization, hydatiform mole, choriocarcinoma Critical value <4 μg/mL after 30 wks gestation