Abstract.
The adipose tissue-derived hormone leptin regulates energy balance and neuroendocrine function. Resistance to the appetite-suppressing effects of leptin is associated with common forms of obesity. Here, we review the mechanisms by which leptin activates intracellular signals and the roles that these signals play in leptin action in vivo. Furthermore, we discuss potential mechanisms of leptin resistance, specifically focusing on data regarding the neuroanatomical locus of leptin resistance and potential mechanisms by which expression of the suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 may impair leptin action.
Key words. Leptin, obesity, SOCS3, signaling, arcuate nucleus, hypothalamus
Footnotes
Received 30 September 2004; received after revision 12 November 2004; accepted 23 November 2004