Leptin reverses insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in patients with severe lipodystrophy. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Lipodystrophy is a rare disorder that is characterized by selective loss of subcutaneous and visceral fat and is associated with hypertriglyceridemia, hepatomegaly, and disordered glucose metabolism. It has recently been shown that chronic leptin treatment ameliorates these abnormalities. Here we show that chronic leptin treatment improves insulin-stimulated hepatic and peripheral glucose metabolism in severely insulin-resistant lipodystrophic patients. This improvement in insulin action was associated with a marked reduction in hepatic and muscle triglyceride content. These data suggest that leptin may represent an important new therapy to reverse the severe hepatic and muscle insulin resistance and associated hepatic steatosis in patients with lipodystrophy.

publication date

  • May 1, 2002

Research

keywords

  • Insulin Resistance
  • Leptin
  • Lipodystrophy
  • Liver

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC150981

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0036114844

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1172/JCI15001

PubMed ID

  • 12021250

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 109

issue

  • 10