human chorionic somatomammotropin


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