title: Leptin and hypertension in obesity.
abstract: Leptin, a peptide discovered more than 10 years ago, decreases food intake and increases sympathetic nerve activity to both thermogenic and non-thermogenic tissue. Leptin was initially believed to be an anti-obesity hormone, owing to its metabolic effects. However, obese individuals, for unknown reasons, become resistant to the satiety and weight-reducing effect of the hormone, but preserve leptin-mediated sympathetic activation to non-thermogenic tissue such as kidney, heart, and adrenal glands. Leptin has been shown to influence nitric oxide production and natriuresis, and along with chronic sympathetic activation, especially to the kidney, it may lead to sodium retention, systemic vasoconstriction, and blood pressure elevation. Consequently, leptin is currently considered to play an important role in the development of hypertension in obesity.
authors.affiliation: Section of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Paco E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Borne
authors.forename: Erwin A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: Efrain
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reisin
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001069:Appetite Regulation; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism; D020738:Leptin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D020738:Leptin; D009569:Nitric Oxide