Chapter category:

Involvement of Leptin in Arterial Hypertension

This chapter appears in the following book:

Leptin and Leptin Antagonists

Edited by: Arieh Gertler
ISBN: TBA
» Get more information about this book at landesbioscience.com «

Chapter authors:
Jerzy Beltowski

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Leptin is secreted by white adipose tissue and its concentration in plasma is higher in obese than in lean subjects. Recent studies suggest that leptin is involved in cardiovascular complications of obesity including arterial hypertension. Acutely administered leptin has no effect on blood pressure, probably because it concomitantly stimulates sympathetic nervous system and counteracting depressor mechanisms such as natriuresis and nitric oxide‑dependent and ‑independent vasorelaxation. In contrast, chronic hyperleptinemia increases blood pressure because these acute depressor effects are impaired and/or additional nonsympathetic pressor mechanisms appear such as increased production of endothelin‑1, overexpression of endothelin and angiotensin II receptors in vascular smooth muscle cells, oxidative stress, nitric oxide deficiency and enhanced renal Na+ reabsorption. Clinical studies have demonstrated that plasma leptin concentration is higher in patients with essential hypertension than in normotensive controls independently of body weight and the significant positive correlation between leptin and blood pressure was observed in both hypertensive and normotensive subjects. Modulating leptin sensitivity and/or leptin level may be a novel approach in the treatment of hypertension.

Jerzy Beltowski
Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University, Lublin, Poland

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Chapter category:

Involvement of Leptin in Arterial Hypertension

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