Leptin
Leptin is a hormone found in the human body. It is secreted by adipose tissue. Leptin is classified as a peptide hormone.
Secretion and Production
Leptin is produced in and secreted from adipose tissue. It was discovered in 1994 by Jeffrey M. Friedman and team at Rockefeller University. Leptin plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure, including the regulation of appetite and metabolism.
Most notably, leptin binds to the Ventral Medial nucleus and signals to the brain that the body has had enough to eat. Additionally, leptin seems to play a role in the ovarian cycle of females. This is related to amount of body fat as is common in anorexics; when fat levels fall below the critical level, the ovarian cycle stops, and females stop menstruating.
Pharmacological Uses
There are currently no pharmacological uses for synthetic leptin. Though it would seem that it might be of benefit to the obese because it controls satiety, research has proven that the obese have higher levels of circulating leptin than people of average weight. Therefore, it seems that obese people are resistant to the effects of leptin, making synthetic leptin useless in the area of weight control.