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Molecular and anatomical determinants of central leptin resistance

Nature Neuroscience volume 8, pages 566–570 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

The increasing incidence of obesity in developed nations is an ever-growing challenge to health care, promoting diabetes and other diseases. The hormone leptin, which is derived from adipose tissue, regulates feeding and energy expenditure. Most forms of obesity are associated with diminished responsiveness to the appetite-suppressing effects of leptin. Here we review the mechanisms by which leptin activates intracellular signals, the roles of these signals in leptin action in vivo, and mechanisms that may attenuate leptin signaling, limiting its action in obese individuals. We highlight data regarding the expression of SOCS3 (a potential mediator of leptin resistance) in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus.

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Figure 1: LRb signaling and proposed role for SOCS3 in LRb signal attenuation.

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Acknowledgements

Supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the American Diabetes Association (to M.G.M.).

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  1. Division of Metabolism, Department of Medicine and Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan Medical School, 1150 West Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, 48109, Michigan, USA

    Heike Münzberg & Martin G Myers Jr

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Correspondence to Martin G Myers Jr.

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Münzberg, H., Myers, M. Molecular and anatomical determinants of central leptin resistance. Nat Neurosci 8, 566–570 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1454

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