LEPTIN - AN INTERIM APPRAISAL

The discovery of leptin, the product of the obese(ob)-gene, has broade ned the horizons of research on energy balance. This hormone, produced and secreted by adipose tissue and some placental cells, finds its wa y to the hypothalamus, where it binds to the leptin receptors and sign als satiety through the neuroendocrine axis. The fact that adipose tis sue is not merely a storage depot, but also an important endocrine tis sue, has revived the interest in the ''lipostatic'' theory of body fat regulation and has initiated many research efforts in the field of ob esity, anorexia nervosa, bulimia, reproduction and haematology.