title: Leptin and cardiovascular diseases.
abstract: Although obesity is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), the endogenous relationship between obesity and CVD is still not fully clear. Emerging evidence from both animal and human studies indicates that leptin may play an important role in obesity-related CVD. Besides modulating appetite and metabolism, leptin has also been shown to increase sympathetic nerve activity, stimulate generation of reactive oxygen species, upregulate endothelin-1 production and potentiate platelet aggregation. These effects of leptin may contribute to hypertension, endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis in obese individuals. Better understanding the mechanisms of leptin resistance should facilitate therapeutic approaches to reverse the phenomenon of selective leptin resistance. These recent discoveries could lead to novel strategies for treatment of obesity-associated CVD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou, China. jiandong-luo@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jian-Dong
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Gen-Shui
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Min-Sheng
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D020738:Leptin; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species