human placental lactogen

lactogen

 [lak´to-jen]

any substance that enhances lactation.

human placental lactogen (HPL) (hPL) a hormone secreted by the placenta, which disappears from the blood immediately after delivery. It has lactogenic, luteotropic, and growth-promoting activity, and inhibits maternal insulin activity during pregnancy.

Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

hu·man pla·cen·tal lac·to·gen (HPL),

lactogen isolated from human placentas and structurally similar to somatotropin; its biologic activity weakly mimics that of somatotropin and prolactin; secreted into maternal circulation; a deficiency of HPL during pregnancy leads to children who undergo abnormal intrauterine and postnatal growth.

Synonym(s): choriomammotropin, chorionic "growth hormone-prolactin", human chorionic somatomammotropic hormone, human chorionic somatomammotropin, placenta protein, placental growth hormone, purified placental protein

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

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

McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

hu·man pla·cen·tal lac·to·gen

(hyū'măn plă-sen'tăl lak'tŏ-jen)

Any agent to stimulate human milk production that has been isolated from human placentas; its biologic activity mimics that of somatotropin and prolactin; secreted into maternal circulation; deficiency during pregnancy leads to abnormal intrauterine and postnatal growth.
Compare: bioregulator
Synonym(s): chorionic growth hormone-prolactin, human chorionic somatomammotropic hormone, placental growth hormone.

Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012