Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Published Online August 9, 2007
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1144599

Brevia

Submitted on May 3, 2007
Accepted on July 12, 2007

Leptin Regulates Striatal Regions and Human Eating Behavior

I. Sadaf Farooqi 1*, Edward Bullmore 2, Julia Keogh 1, Jonathan Gillard 3, Stephen O’Rahilly 1, Paul C. Fletcher 2*

1 University Departments of Medicine and Clinical Biochemistry, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, University of Cambridge, CB2 2QQ, UK.
2 Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, University of Cambridge, CB2 2QQ, UK.
3 Department of Radiology, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, University of Cambridge, CB2 2QQ, UK.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
I. Sadaf Farooqi , E-mail: isf20{at}cam.ac.uk
Paul C. Fletcher , E-mail: pcf22{at}cam.ac.uk

Studies of the fat-derived hormone leptin have provided key insights into the molecular and neural components of feeding behavior and body weight regulation. An important challenge lies in understanding how the rewarding properties of food interact with, and can override, physiological satiety signals and promote overeating. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure brain responses in two human subjects with congenital leptin deficiency who were shown images of food before and after 7 days of leptin replacement therapy. Leptin was found to modulate neural activation in key mesolimbic regions, suggesting that the hormone acts on neural circuits governing food intake to diminish perception of food reward, while enhancing the response to satiety signals generated during food consumption.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Getting the message across: mechanisms of physiological cross talk by adipose tissue.
D.-E. Lee, S. Kehlenbrink, H. Lee, M. Hawkins, and J. S. Yudkin (2009)
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 296, E1210-E1229
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Leptin at 14 y of age: an ongoing story.
J. M Friedman (2009)
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition 89, 973S-979S
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Leptin: a pivotal regulator of human energy homeostasis.
I S. Farooqi and S. O'Rahilly (2009)
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition 89, 980S-984S
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Homeostatic and Hedonic Signals Interact in the Regulation of Food Intake.
M. Lutter and E. J. Nestler (2009)
J. Nutr. 139, 629-632
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Evidence of gender differences in the ability to inhibit brain activation elicited by food stimulation.
G.-J. Wang, N. D. Volkow, F. Telang, M. Jayne, Y. Ma, K. Pradhan, W. Zhu, C. T. Wong, P. K. Thanos, A. Geliebter, et al. (2009)
PNAS 106, 1249-1254
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Insulin, leptin, and food reward: update 2008.
D. P. Figlewicz and S. C. Benoit (2009)
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol 296, R9-R19
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Evidence for defective mesolimbic dopamine exocytosis in obesity-prone rats.
B. M. Geiger, G. G. Behr, L. E. Frank, A. D. Caldera-Siu, M. C. Beinfeld, E. G. Kokkotou, and E. N. Pothos (2008)
FASEB J 22, 2740-2746
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Serum leptin levels are higher in females affected by frontotemporal lobar degeneration than Alzheimer's disease.
A Alberici, L Bocchio, C Geroldi, R Zanardini, C Bonomini, G Bugari, C Iacobello, L Caimi, M Gennarelli, O Zanetti, et al. (2008)
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 79, 712-715
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Neural Systems Controlling the Drive to Eat: Mind Versus Metabolism.
H. Zheng and H.-R. Berthoud (2008)
Physiology 23, 75-83
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »

E-Letters:

Read all E-Letters

Leptin Regulates Human Eating Behavior?
Rudolf Uher, et al.
Science Online, 16 Nov 2007 [Full text]
Response to R. Uher and I. C. Campbell
Sadaf Farooqi, et al.
Science Online, 16 Nov 2007 [Full text]

To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)