Clinical implications of leptin and its potential humoral regulators in long-term low-calorie diet therapy for obese humans

Abstract

Objective: To address the clinical implications of leptin and to re-examine the relationship between leptin and its potential humoral regulators such as insulin, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and triiodothyronine (T3) in low-calorie diet (LCD) for obese humans. Design: Longitudinal study. Setting: University and foundation hospitals. Subjects: Ten obese men and 10 premenopausal obese women. Interventions: Five men and five women took 800 kcal=day LCD and another five men and five women took 1400 kcal=day balanced deficit diet (BDD) during 4 weeks. Results: Plasma leptin levels in the LCD group decreased more markedly (46.2 AE 14.6 to 13.2 AE 3.6 ng=ml) than that expected for the decrement in percentage fat (39.0 AE 1.7 to 35.9 AE 1.7%) and body mass index (BMI; 35.4 AE 2.4 to 33.1 AE 2.2 kg=m 2 ), while that in the BDD group did not decrease significantly (14.9 AE 3.5 to 13.4 AE 2.8 ng=ml). The ratio of the decrease in leptin levels to that of BMI during the first week was significantly greater than that during the following 3 weeks (39.5 AE 2.7 vs 29.3 AE 2.1%, P ¼ 0.017). The plasma insulin and T3 levels also fell substantially in the first week and continued to decrease during the entire course. Plasma leptin levels measured weekly in each subject were correlated well with insulin (r ¼ 0.586, P ¼ 0.0003) and T3 (r ¼ 0.785, P ¼ 0.0004). Multiple regression analyses after adjustment for the time course and BMI revealed that serum levels of T3 were independently correlated with plasma leptin levels (r ¼ 0.928, P < 0.0001). The plasma NEFA level was markedly elevated during the first 2 weeks and decreased thereafter. Conclusions: A rapid fall in leptin during the first week of LCD, coordinated by insulin, T3 and NEFA, should be beneficial for responding to decreased energy intake. Inversely, in view of the powerful effect of leptin on energy dissipation, the present findings suggest the potential usefulness of leptin in combination with caloric restriction for the treatment of obesity.

Effect of Chronic and Intermittent Calorie Restriction on Serum Adiponectin and Leptin and Mammary Tumorigenesis

“…Over the course of the study, serum leptin levels rose in AL mice with increasing age while this response was muted by calorie restriction. These findings are consistent with human studies (92–99). …”

Caloric restriction reverses the deficits in leptin receptor protein and leptin signaling capacity associated with diet-induced obesity: role of leptin in the regulation of hypothalamic long-form leptin receptor expression

“…Short-and long-term CR has been shown to dramatically reduce serum leptin, usually to a much greater extent than would be predicted based on the loss of adiposity (Shimokawa & Higami 2001, Miyawaki et al 2002. In the present study, we report significant reductions in leptin expression in white fat following 30 days of CR ( 78% in CHOW and 63% in DIO rats).…”

Safety and Feasibility of Diet-Treated Donors With Steatotic Livers at the Initial Consultation for Living-Donor Liver Transplantation

“…One candidate refused the diet program. Finally, 42 candidates received the diet treatment that was an 800 to 1400 kcal/day diet combined with a 100 to 400 kcal/day exercise without drug treatment, targeting a BMI of 22 kg/m 2 for 6 months in the outpatient clinic (10,20,32,33). Laboratory data in this group showed the abnormally high level of at least one of the following: ALT, F-GTP, T-cho, and TG.…”