Future of obesity treatment: leptin sensitizers

Leptin is an adipose tissue derived hormone, which has a crucial role in regulating food intake and energy expenditure. Leptin is also an important metabolic regulator, which maintains glucose and lipid homeostasis. After identification of its influences on body weight and fat mass in leptin deficient obese rodent models, leptin supplementation was used for the treatment of obesity in human. However, the administration of leptin was failed to reverse obesity in human. Obese people have found to be hyperleptinemic. Now, it is well-known that there is a positive correlation between serum leptin level and amount of adipose tissue (Considine, 1996). The high serum leptin levels in obese subjects suggested that the decreased sensitivity to leptin action was sustained the fat mass. Since exogenous obesity is associated with hyperleptinemia caused by leptin resistance, the restoration of leptin sensitivity should be considered as a useful strategy to treat exogenous obesity.