EN
The capacity of an organism to cope with harsh conditions is the result of long evolutionary processes and interactions between hormones involved in reproduction (LH, FSH, GnRH), metabolic processes (leptin, prolactin, growth hormone) and seasonality (melatonin). The mechanism through which animals adjust energy intake and expenditure according to the demands of the organism in different physiological status is still unknown. In the literature, information about interaction between leptin and prolactin is scarce and contradictory. Leptin plays a crucial role in the regulation of energy homeostasis or food intake and, as well as prolactin, it is a hormone of importance as an endocrine mediator. Day length and lactation are able to affect leptin and prolactin expression and secretion, but also modulate the correlation between them. The present review summarises research on interaction between leptin and prolactin, starting from the direct effects, through the influence of seasonality and lactation. The complete understanding of mechanisms involved in the interactions may be very useful not only in animal breeding, but also in developing effective therapies in human obesity, eating disorders and infertility.