LEPTIN IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE ON HEMODIALYSIS

Abstract

In humans, leptin circulates in the blood with about 50% in the free form and the remainder attached to binding proteins (StenvinkeL 1998). It crosses the blood brain barrier by a saturable transport mechanism (Banks et at., 1996), binds to its receptor in the hypothalamus (Lee et aL, 1996) and exerts its actions by restraining the synthesis and release of neuropeptide Y from hypothalamic nuclei ultimately causing anorexia (Schwartz et al. 1995) (Stephens et aL, 1995), stimulating the miogenesis (Susulic et at., 1996) and increasing metabolism (StenvinkeL 1998).