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Updated: Feb 1, 2026
06:57
Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice
Published on: November 11, 2021
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Does circulating leptin play a role in energy expenditure?
Xinyan Bi1, Yi Ting Loo1, Christiani Jeyakumar Henry2
1Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore; National University Health System, Centre for Translational Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)
|December 4, 2018
Summary
Leptin levels are a stronger predictor of normalized resting metabolic rate than fat mass in healthy adults. This suggests leptin plays a key role in regulating energy balance and homeostasis.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic research
- Endocrinology
- Human physiology
Background:
- Leptin regulates energy balance, appetite, and energy expenditure (EE).
- The relationship between leptin and EE is complicated by body composition variations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine leptin's role in energy regulation.
- To examine if leptin-mediated EE changes correlate with adiposity in healthy Singaporean adults.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 300 healthy adults.
- Measured resting metabolic rate (RMR) using indirect calorimetry.
- Assessed body composition (fat mass [FM], fat-free mass [FFM]) via DXA and serum leptin via radioimmunoassay.
Main Results:
- Strong correlations found between leptin, FM, and RMR.
- Normalized RMR (after accounting for FFM) significantly associated with FM and leptin.
- Leptin level was the primary predictor of normalized RMR, explaining 12% of variation; FM did not explain any variation.
Conclusions:
- Leptin is a more significant predictor of normalized RMR than fat mass.
- Fat mass may influence RMR through leptin-dependent mechanisms in energy homeostasis.
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