Recent advances in understanding the role of leptin in energy homeostasis.

Heike Münzberg,Prachi Singh,Christopher D Morrison,Steven B Heymsfield,Sangho Yu

doi:10.12688/f1000research.24260.1

Heike Münzberg, Prachi Singh + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.24260.1

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Abstract

The hormone leptin plays a critical role in energy homeostasis, although our overall understanding of acutely changing leptin levels still needs improvement. Several developments allow a fresh look at recent and early data on leptin action. This review highlights select recent publications that are relevant for understanding the role played by dynamic changes in circulating leptin levels. We further discuss the relevance for our current understanding of leptin signaling in central neuronal feeding and energy expenditure circuits and highlight cohesive and discrepant findings that need to be addressed in future studies to understand how leptin couples with physiological adaptations of food intake and energy expenditure.

Highlights

The adipose tissue-derived hormone leptin plays a critical role in whole body energy homeostasis: lack of functional leptin or leptin receptors (Lepr) results in severe and early onset obesity in rodents and humans, while leptin replacement in leptin-deficient rodents and humans fully recovers energy homeostasis[1,2]
DMH/DHA Lepr neurons are activated by cold exposure and leptin[43,85], and activation of DMH/DHA Lepr neurons is sufficient to increase energy expenditure via sympathetic activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) that depends on β3-adrenergic signaling
Lepr expression in these neurons is required to prevent hypometabolism and weight gain, and DMH/DHA leptin infusion is sufficient to normalize body temperature and improve body weight in ob/ob mice and obese rats without affecting food intake[43,88]. These observations suggest that DMH/DHA Lepr neurons are important for coupling changes in leptin levels with energy expenditure adaptations (Figure 1B)

Summary

27 May 2020

Faculty Reviews are written by members of the prestigious Faculty Opinions Faculty. They are commissioned and are peer reviewed before publication to ensure that the final, published version is comprehensive and accessible. The reviewers who approved the final version are listed with their names and affiliations. Any comments on the article can be found at the end of the article

Introduction

20. Münzberg H

31. Coleman DL: Obese and Diabetes

79. Morrison SF