The role of leptin in the respiratory system: an overview

• Published in: Respiratory research Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 152
• Main Authors: Malli, Foteini, Papaioannou, Andriana I, Gourgoulianis, Konstantinos I, Daniil, Zoe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 31.10.2010; BioMed Central Ltd; Nature Publishing Group; BMC
• Subjects: Animals; Asthma; Cloning; Growth hormones; Homeostasis; Humans; Immune system; Leptin; Leptin - metabolism; Lung - metabolism; Lung cancer; Lung Diseases - metabolism; Medical research; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Obesity; Pathogenesis; Pneumology/Respiratory System; Proteins; Pulmonary Gas Exchange; Respiration Disorders - metabolism; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory Mechanics; Respiratory system; Review; Rodents; Signal transduction; Sleep apnea; Studies; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Subject; Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cell; Tuberculous Pleural Effusion; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patient
• ISSN: 1465-993X; 1465-9921; 1465-993X
• DOI: 10.1186/1465-9921-11-152

Since its cloning in 1994, leptin has emerged in the literature as a pleiotropic hormone whose actions extend from immune system homeostasis to reproduction and angiogenesis. Recent investigations have identified the lung as a leptin responsive and producing organ, while extensive research has been published concerning the role of leptin in the respiratory system. Animal studies have provided evidence indicating that leptin is a stimulant of ventilation, whereas researchers have proposed an important role for leptin in lung maturation and development. Studies further suggest a significant impact of leptin on specific respiratory diseases, including obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome, asthma, COPD and lung cancer. However, as new investigations are under way, the picture is becoming more complex. The scope of this review is to decode the existing data concerning the actions of leptin in the lung and provide a detailed description of leptin's involvement in the most common disorders of the respiratory system.