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Updated: Oct 20, 2025

Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
Leptin as a key regulator of the adipose organ
Catalina Picó1, Mariona Palou1, Catalina Amadora Pomar1
1Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Nutrition and Biotechnology (Nutrigenomics, Biomarkers and Risk Evaluation), University of the Balearic Islands. CIBER de Fisiopatología de La Obesidad Y Nutrición (CIBEROBN). Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma, Spain.
Abstract:
Leptin is a hormone primarily produced by the adipose tissue in proportion to the size of fat stores, with a primary function in the control of lipid reserves. Besides adipose tissue, leptin is also produced by other tissues, such as the stomach, placenta, and mammary gland. Altogether, leptin exerts a broad spectrum of short, medium, and long-term regulatory actions at the central and peripheral levels, including metabolic programming effects that condition the proper development and function of the adipose organ, which are relevant for its main role in energy homeostasis. Comprehending how leptin regulates adipose tissue may provide important clues to understand the pathophysiology of obesity and related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, as well as its prevention and treatment. This review focuses on the physiological and long-lasting regulatory effects of leptin on adipose tissue, the mechanisms and pathways involved, its main outcomes on whole-body physiological homeostasis, and its consequences on chronic diseases.
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