LEPTIN LEVELS IN HUMAN AND RODENT - MEASUREMENT OF PLASMA LEPTIN AND OB RNA IN OBESE AND WEIGHT-REDUCED SUBJECTS

Leptin, the gene product of the obese gene, may play an important role in regulating body weight by signalling the size of the adipose tissu e mass. Plasma leptin was found to be highly correlated with body mass index (BMI) in rodents and in 87 lean and obese humans. In humans, th ere was variability in plasma leptin at each BMI suggesting that there are differences in its secretion rate from fat. Weight loss due to fo od restriction was associated with a decrease in plasma leptin in samp les from mice and obese humans.