Reversing obesity and diabetes works when leptin signaling is on the brain

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 15 Nov 2005 - 6:00 PDT

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Leptin is a hormone derived from fat cells, and defects in leptin signaling leads to obesity, overeating, and decreased energy output. Leptin signals through the leptin receptor, LEPR.

In a paper appearing online on November 10 in advance of print publication of the December issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Streamson Chua and colleagues use transgenic mice to show that only one isoform of leptin receptor, LEPR-B, expressed exclusively in neurons, is sufficient to produce normal body composition and normal body weight. Brain specific leptin signaling was sufficient to reverse the obesity, diabetes, and infertility seen in db/db mice, which carry a defective leptin receptor.

This data provides evidence that leptin's effects on body composition, insulin sensitivity, and fertility are mediated by the nervous system and that the extraneural effects of leptin, with regard to body composition and insulin sensitivity, may be limited.

TITLE: Complete rescue of obesity/diabetes and infertility in db/db mice with neuron-specific LEPR-B transgenes

View the PDF of this article at: the-jci.org/article.php?id=24059

JCI, December, 2005

Stacie Bloom
press_releases@the-jci.org
Journal of Clinical Investigation
http://www.jci.org

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