Limited brain access for leptin in obesity

Obesity is a major health problem that contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease. The current pharmacological therapies for obesity are limited and may have significant side effects. Leptin therapy was shown to effectively cause weight loss in obese rats, however its effectiveness in humans is still under investigation. Obese humans have significantly elevated plasma leptin concentrations compared with lean individuals. Plasma leptin concentrations strongly correlated with percentage of body fat. Leptin concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is correlated, in a nonlinear manner, with plasma leptin levels and body mass index (BMI). The ratio of CSF leptin levels to serum leptin levels was 4 times greater in lean individuals than in obese individuals. One interpretation of this finding is that human obesity could be secondary to a central resistance to leptin action, causing a relative leptin deficiency in the CNS. Six years after the discovery of leptin we still do not have a clear understanding of how leptin accesses its targets in the brain, or whether there is defect in this process in the brain of obese individuals. In this manuscript we will review the different leptin gateways to the brain and the potential sites where a defect in leptin action may be present, as well as some potential clinical implications of leptin. A better understanding of how leptin reaches the brain and how it modulates the release of hypothalamic neuropeptides will be important in understanding the role that leptin plays in the pathophysiology of obesity.