Effects of very low calorie diet induced body weight loss with or without human pegylated recombinant leptin treatment on changes in ghrelin and adiponectin concentrations.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of energy restriction with or without pegylated recombinant leptin (PEG-leptin) treatment on ghrelin, adiponectin, insulin and glucose concentrations. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial was performed in 24 moderately overweight/obese men. PEG-leptin or placebo was administered weekly for 6 weeks, combined with a restricted energy intake of 2.

Leptin and energy expenditure.

Purpose Of Review: A fundamental advance in our understanding of endocrine control of energy balance and body weight came with the discovery of the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin. The leptin pathway appeared to be the long-sought peripheral signal pathway from the adipose tissue to the brain involved in the regulation of feeding and energy balance.

Recent Findings: Initially, leptin was considered to function as the long-sought antiobesity hormone.

Leptin and the proinflammatory state associated with human obesity.

It has been suggested that elevated leptin levels underlie the low grade proinflammatory state in human obesity. We reasoned that if elevated leptin levels are an important factor in the proinflammatory state in obesity, then exogenous leptin administration during weight loss should counteract the concurrent beneficial effects of weight loss on the proinflammatory state. We therefore determined whether long-acting pegylated recombinant leptin (PEG-OB) prevents the decrease in cellular and humoral inflammation parameters during a very low calorie diet in healthy overweight young men.

The effect of pegylated human recombinant leptin (PEG-OB) on neuroendocrine adaptations to semi-starvation in overweight men.

Objective: Starvation induces a complex neuroendocrine response in humans thought to have evolved to defend against reduced energy intake. The drop in leptin levels observed during fasting has been implicated as a factor that triggers this adaptive response. To explore this hypothesis, we executed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to investigate whether elevated leptin levels using long-acting pegylated human recombinant leptin (PEG-OB) influenced the neuroendocrine responses to semi-starvation in human subjects.

Pegylated human recombinant leptin (PEG-OB) causes additional weight loss in severely energy-restricted, overweight men.

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that falling leptin concentrations observed during fasting act as a peripheral signal of starvation, which serves to conserve energy in the face of limited reserves. An extension of this hypothesis is that exogenous leptin should affect energy regulation during severe energy restriction.

Objective: To explore this hypothesis, we assessed whether elevated leptin concentrations achieved with the use of long-acting pegylated human recombinant leptin [polyethylene glycol-OB protein (PEG-OB)] affected weight loss and changes in body composition, energy expenditure, appetite, and metabolic variables during semistarvation in healthy overweight men.