Leptin replacement rescues the phenotype of morbid obesity and hypogonadism in leptin-deficient adults. However, leptin's effects on insulin resistance are not well understood. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of leptin on insulin resistance. Three leptin-deficient adults (male, 32 yr old, BMI 23.5 kg/m 2 ; female, 42 yr old, BMI 25.1 kg/m 2 ; female, 46 yr old, BMI 31.7 kg/m 2 ) with a missense mutation of the leptin gene were evaluated during treatment with recombinant methionyl human leptin (r-metHuLeptin). Insulin resistance was determined by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamps and by oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs), whereas patients were on r-metHuLeptin and after treatment was interrupted for 2-4 wk in the 4th, 5th, and 6th years of treatment. At baseline, all patients had normal insulin levels, C-peptide, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance index, except for one female diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The glucose infusion rate was significantly lower with r-metHuLeptin (12.03 Ϯ 3.27 vs. 8.16 Ϯ 2.77 mg ⅐ kg Ϫ1 ⅐ min Ϫ1 , P ϭ 0.0016) but did not differ in the 4th, 5th, and 6th years of treatment when all results were analyzed by a mixed model [F(1,4) ϭ 0.57 and P ϭ 0.5951]. The female patient with type 2 diabetes became euglycemic after treatment with r-metHuLeptin and subsequent weight loss. The OGTT suggested that two patients showed decreased insulin resistance while off treatment. During an off-leptin OGTT, one of the patients developed a moderate hypoglycemic reaction attributed to increased posthepatic insulin delivery and sensitivity. We conclude that, in leptin-deficient adults, the interruption of r-metHuLeptin decreases insulin resistance in the context of rapid weight gain. Our results suggest that hyperleptinemia may contribute to mediate the increased insulin resistance of obesity. recombinant methionyl human leptin; euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp; homeostatic model assessment LEPTIN DEFICIENCY was the first described monogenic nonpleiotropic form of obesity. To date, 10 children (23,25,40,44,58) and three adults (46, 58) have been reported as leptin deficient in five families from Pakistan, one from Egypt, and one from Turkey. Leptin replacement decreases weight, fat mass, food intake, hyperinsulinemia, and serum lipid levels (22,23,25,46). We previously described a significant reduction in food intake (32-34, 61), resulting in substantial weight and fat loss, an increase in physical activity, and the resolution of hypogonadism and type 2 diabetes mellitus in leptin-treated adults (32). Moreover, leptin replacement altered the patients' brain structure and their response to food cues (2, 38).Although leptin and insulin have key metabolic roles, the interplay between both hormones is poorly understood. A majority of the studies suggest that leptin decreases insulin synthesis and secretion by pancreatic -cells (9,12,29,54). It is speculated that the adipoinsular axis includes a leptinmediated inhibitory feedback loop on insulin secretion to decrease adipogenesi...