Gonadal function improving agents

Abstract

Metastin, compounds that promote the activity of metastin or its receptors and the like are excellent gonadal function improving agents, ovulation inducers or promoters, gonadotropic hormone secretion promoters, gonadotropic hormone secretion inhibitors, sex hormone secretion promoters, sex hormone secretion inhibitors, etc., and can be used as agents for preventing/treating sterility, hormone-sensitive cancers, endometriosis, etc. Metastin and its receptors are useful for screening for these pharmaceuticals.

1 .- 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A method of improving gonadal function, which comprises administering to a mammal an effective dose of (i) a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof, (ii) a polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide or a salt thereof, (iii) a compound or its salt that promotes the activity of said polypeptide or a salt thereof, (iv) a compound or its salt that promotes the activity of a protein comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 20, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof, or (v) a compound or its salt that promotes the activation of said polypeptide or a salt thereof into said protein, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         25 . A method of improving gonadal function, which comprises (i) promoting the activity of a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof, (ii) promoting the activity of a protein comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 20, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof, or (iii) promoting the activation of said polypeptide or a salt thereof into said protein, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A method of inhibiting gonadotropic hormone secretion and/or a method of inhibiting sex hormone secretion, which comprises administering to a mammal an effective dose of (i) a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof, (ii) a polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide or a salt thereof, (iii) a compound or its salt that promotes the activity of said polypeptide or a salt thereof, (iv) a compound or its salt that promotes the activity of a protein comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 20, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof, or (v) a compound or its salt that promotes the activation of said polypeptide or a salt thereof into said protein, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         28 . A method of preventing/treating a hormone-sensitive cancer or endometriosis, which comprises uninterruptedly or continuously administering to a mammal an effective dose of (i) a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof, (ii) a polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide or a salt thereof, (iii) a compound or its salt that promotes the activity of said polypeptide or a salt thereof, (iv) a compound or its salt that promotes the activity of a protein comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 20, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof, or (v) a compound or its salt that promotes the activation of said polypeptide or a salt thereof into said protein, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         29 . A method of inhibiting follicular maturation and/or a method of suspending a menstrual cycle, which comprises uninterruptedly or continuously administering to a mammal an effective dose of (i) a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof, (ii) a polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide or a salt thereof, (iii) a compound or its salt that promotes the activity of said polypeptide or a salt thereof, (iv) a compound or its salt that promotes the activity of a protein comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 20, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof, or (v) a compound or its salt that promotes the activation of said polypeptide or a salt thereof into said protein, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         30 . A method of promoting gonadotropic hormone secretion and/or a method of promoting sex hormone secretion, which comprises applying bolus administration to a mammal in an effective dose of (i) a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof, (ii) a polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide or a salt thereof, (iii) a compound or its salt that promotes the activity of said polypeptide or a salt thereof, (iv) a compound or its salt that promotes the activity of a protein comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 20, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof, or (v) a compound or its salt that promotes the activation of said polypeptide or a salt thereof into said protein, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         31 . A method of inducing or promoting ovulation, which comprises applying bolus administration to a mammal in an effective dose of (i) a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof, (ii) a polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide or a salt thereof, (iii) a compound or its salt that promotes the activity of said polypeptide or a salt thereof, (iv) a compound or its salt that promotes the activity of a protein comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 20, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof, or (v) a compound or its salt that promotes the activation of said polypeptide or a salt thereof into said protein, its partial peptide, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the gonadotropic hormone is luteinizing hormone. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the sex hormone is estrogen or progesterone. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the gonadotropic hormone is luteinizing hormone. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the sex hormone is estrogen or progesterone. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 24 , which comprises administering to said mammal an effective dose of a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 25 , which comprises promoting the activity of a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 27 , which comprises administering to said mammal an effective dose of a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 28 , which comprises administering to said mammal an effective dose of a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 29 , which comprises administering to said mammal an effective dose of a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 30 , which comprises applying to said mammal an effective dose of a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 31 , which comprises applying to said mammal an effective dose of a polypeptide comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof.