Leptin: A multifaceted hormone in the central nervous system

It is well established that the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin is an important circulating satiety factor that regulates body weight and food intake via its actions on specific hypothalamic nuclei. However, there is growing evidence that leptin and its receptors are widely expressed throughout the brain, in regions not generally associated with energy homeostasis, such as cortex, cerebellum, brainstem, basal ganglia, and hippocampus. In this review the author discusses recent advances made in leptin neurobiology, with particular emphasis on the role of this endocrine peptide in normal and pathophysiological hippocampal function.