Hormone protects against development of fatty liver

A study group at MedUni Vienna has identified a regulatory loop controlled by leptin, by which this adipocyte-derived hormone regulates hepatic lipid metabolism via the autonomic nervous system. The study provides evidence that this adipose tissue-brain-liver axis, previously identified in animal models, also exists in humans and is opening up new approaches for treating metabolic diseases such as fatty liver disease. The aim of the study conducted by Thomas Scherer and Matthäus Metz from the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism (Department of Medicine III at MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital) was to identify the effects of leptin on liver fat metabolism in humans, which are independent of its anorexic actions. The adipose tissue hormone leptin circulates in the blood in relation to fat mass and acts primarily as a satiety signal in the brain. In addition to controlling appetite, it is also involved in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. These effects are mediated through the autonomic nervous system, which links the brain to peripheral organs, such as the liver and the adipose tissue. Human recombinant leptin (metreleptin) is approved for the treatment of lipodystrophy.