Leptin in Human Energy and Neuroendocrine Homeostasis

• Status: Terminated
• Trial end date: 2013-07-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Previous work in our laboratory, and many others, has shown that body weight is regulated. When anyone, fat or thin, tries to maintain a reduced body weight, many systems affecting energy balance (skeletal muscle, neuroendocrine, and autonomic systems) conspire to slow metabolic rate thus favoring the regain of lost weight. Individuals with leptin deficiency are remarkably similar to weight-reduced individuals. Their metabolism, thyroid hormones, and sympathetic nervous system activity are all low despite their obesity. While administration of leptin to leptin-deficient humans results in substantial weight loss and increases in energy expenditure. However, leptin administration to leptin-sufficient humans at usual body weight has little or no effect on weight unless given in doses 10-20 times what would be considered to be in the normal physiological range. This study examines the hypothesis that leptin is "read" by various systems regulating energy balance as an indicator of how much energy we have stored and that the body perceives the weight-reduced state as a condition of relative leptin insufficiency. Within this model, restoration of leptin to levels present prior to weight loss should relieve much of the metabolic opposition to keeping weight off. Preliminary studies support this hypothesis.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Columbia University; Michael Rosenbaum
• Collaborators: Columbia University; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy lean or overweight males and females who have sustained their current weight for at least 6 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy

• Any illness or chronic medication that affect energy expenditure, neuroendocrine function, autonomic function or that would impair ability to tolerate a prolonged hospital stay including rapid weight reduction and vigorous exercise.