Published online Sep 26, 2015. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v7.i9.511
Peer-review started: April 3, 2015
First decision: June 3, 2015
Revised: June 16, 2015
Accepted: July 21, 2015
Article in press: July 23, 2015
Published online: September 26, 2015
Processing time: 170 Days and 23.9 Hours
Leptin is an adipokine that has been linked with the cardiovascular complications resulting from obesity such as hypertension and heart disease. Obese patients have high levels of circulating leptin due to increased fat mass. Clinical and population studies have correlated high levels of circulating leptin with the development of cardiac hypertrophy in obesity. Leptin has also been demonstrated to increase the growth of cultured cardiomyocytes. However, several animal studies of obese leptin deficient mice have not supported a role for leptin in promoting cardiac hypertrophy so the role of leptin in this pathological process remains unclear. Leptin is also an important hormone in the regulation of cardiac metabolism where it supports oxidation of glucose and fatty acids. In addition, leptin plays a critical role in protecting the heart from excess lipid accumulation and the formation of toxic lipids in obesity a condition known as cardiac lipotoxicity. This paper focuses on the data supporting and refuting leptin’s role in promoting cardiac hypertrophy as well as its important role in the regulation of cardiac metabolism and protection against cardiac lipotoxicity.
Core tip: Leptin is a hormone derived from adipocytes which regulates food intake and body weight. It is present at high levels in obese individuals where it can impact organs such as the heart. Leptin has been shown to both promote and protect the heart against obesity induced heart disease. This review examines the controversial role of leptin in the development of cardiac hypertrophy as well as its important role in regulating cardiac metabolism and protecting the heart against obesity induced lipotoxicity.