Endocrine Function Of Adipose Tissue Leptin

An informative article on: Endocrine Function Of Adipose Tissue Leptin.

The Endocrine function of adipose tissue leptin is involved in regulating our body weight while being produced in the fat cells of our body. Leptin travels to our brain through our blood stream and works on neurons within the hypothalamus to help us regulate our appetites. When Leptin stimulates hypothalamus it sends our brain a signal telling us that we are no longer hungry and it is time to stop eating. Thus, it is largely responsible for helping us minimize our physical desire for food. However, it has no impact on any emotional or psychological cravings we might mistake as hunger.

How Does Leptin Tissue Work?

Leptin is created and released from fat cells in our body if there are any changes to our weight. Leptin is bound to live proteins and is defused through capillary junctures by transport in the choroid plexus. Concerning hypothalamus, leptin is bound to simulation in receptors such as anorexigenic peptides and also cocaine and amphetamines which inhibit orexigenic peptides. Furthermore, leptin is also known to reduce lipid levels in liver and pancreatic cells as well as being very beneficial to our skeletal muscles. This tissue helps our muscles to improve insulin sensitivity. Research shows that the main action of leptin is to send us a signal for starvation. In this case there will be a change in your metabolic function if you are fasting.

Leptin Deficiency Replacement Therapy

If a patient has leptin deficiency, there is an option for replacement therapy to help with decreased triglyceride levels. Triglyceride levels can be increased by up to 60% in four months with such replacement therapy. Treatment such as this can lead to decreased need for anti-diabetic medication. Furthermore, the caloric intake and resting metabolic rates may decrease with leptin replacement therapy. Furhtermore, the serum leptin levels may also increase in diabetic patients while glycosylated haemoglobin may decrease.

Leptin Deficiency and Replacement Therapy in Obese Children

In the past, there have been cases where morbidly obese children underwent the same replacement therapy as discussed above. These children who had no functional leptin had positive results. Children that are morbidly obese and suffer from leptin deficiency may have difficulties achieving normal sexual maturation at puberty. These patients that responded well to this treatment did not respond well to the testing of thyrotropin-releasing hormone and growth hormone releasing treatments. This information alone suggests that the function of adipose tissue leptin plays an important part in the neuroendocrine regulation.

Understanding Leptin Resistance

In situations where obese individuals who showed no leptin deficiency but an increased level of leptin production caused health professionals to became aware of the idea of ‘leptin resistance’. No one is quite sure of the beginning of leptin resistance and sadly in these individuals leptin replacement therapy was unsuccessful except in high doses. This suggests that although the endocrine function of adipose tissue leptin plays an important role in regulating our body weight, increasing the dosage is not necessarily a cure for obesity.