title: [Research advances on leptin and respiratory diseases].
abstract: Leptin is a product of the obese (ob) gene and acts through its receptor Ob-R. Leptin is primarily known for its role as a hypothalamic modulator of food, especially in intake, energy balance, fat stores and body weight. Recent studies have shown that leptin may be involved in the development of respiratory diseases such as pulmonary artery hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung neoplasms and asthma. Therefore, further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms accounting for the association between leptin and respiratory diseases, which may lead to the development of novel approaches to the prevention and treatment of these diseases. Here we give an overview of the distribution and physiological function of leptin and ob-R, and summarize the recent progress in the relationship between leptin and respiratory diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
authors.forename: San-Bao
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chao-Shu
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D054411:Receptors, Leptin / Q000502:physiology; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D054411:Receptors, Leptin