Impact of Metformin on Leptin Transport in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Obese Patients
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2022-05-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Obesity, a major health problem, is gradually transforming into a global epidemic. The
current obesity treatment with long term efficacy is the bariatric surgery, however, the
operative risk of this procedure is high and the post-operative iotrogeny may be important.
Obesity is most often associated to the feeding behavior which depends on hypothalamic
integration of peripheral signals such as leptin and glucose. High levels of circulating
leptin are detected in obese patients. These elevated leptin levels fail to reduce appetite
or increase energy expenditure. The mechanism underlying this non-integration of peripheral
signals remains to be identified. The ratio of leptin levels in the cereprospinal fluid (CSF)
and in the periphery is drastically decreased in obese patients when compared to lean
individuals, therefore a defective transport of circulating leptin into the brain via the CSF
is maybe linked to obesity.