Hannah Buffie Bio 211 Writing Assignment 1 15 October 2012 Leptin and Ghrelin: The Hormones That Determine

Our Weight Introduction Leptin and ghrelin are two recently discovered hormones that are related to human appetite. Leptin is a hormone that controls appetite and tells the body when it is full and should discontinue eating. Ghrelin, on the other hand, regulates the want for food when it is needed. Leptin and ghrelin working improperly can lead to obesity and weight gain. Body Hormones are one of the many ways our body can carry out functions. Helen Kollias, a writer for the National Library of Medicine, verifies that hormones work by releasing a chemical that alters the body by sending a message, which is usually carried within the bloodstream (www.nlm.nih.gov). Recent discoveries and studies have revealed that weight can be determined and controlled by hormones. Specifically, these hormones are leptin and ghrelin. According to Christos Mantzoros et al., a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, leptin is made mostly by adipose tissue, but can also be produced in other tissues such as: the ovaries, mammary epithelium, bone marrow and lymphoid tissues (E568). The less fat that is on the body, the less leptin is produced. Melanie D. Klok et al., a professor of the department of endocrinology at VU University, added that leptin is released by adipose tissue into the blood stream, and then crosses the blood brain barrier. It attaches itself to the leptin receptors and is then taken to the hypothalamus, which is the part of the brain that regulates food intake and body weight (22). Basically, leptin controls the signal that tells us when we are full. It is released by the fat cells and is carried to the hypothalamus where it then tells the body to stop consuming food. While leptin is important when talking about the regulation of appetite in the body it is not the only hormone that regulates appetite. Ghrelin is important in the stimulation of hunger in the body, most importantly in the stomach. Klok et al. reports ghrelin is found within the stomach, the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, ovaries and adrenal cortex. Ghrelin stimulates appetite through a stimulatory signal (24). Since ghrelin is released from an organ that affects the brain it is considered a peripheral signal just as leptin is. It is also carried to the hypothalamus through the circulatory system. Jeffery Zigman et al., an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, finds that ghrelin signals energy insufficiency within the body. The levels of ghrelin tend to rise before meals when energy is needed and decreases after food intake (3546). In opposition to leptin, ghrelin signals when the body needs food. While these hormones normally work properly, they can become out of balance. Obesity and having excess adipose tissue can disrupt the natural levels of leptin and

ghrelin. Klok et al. supports that the development of obesity may be related to imbalances in the leptin and ghrelin systems (21). Although obesity may be the persons fault, in some instances these imbalances can be genetic. In fact, you can become deficient in leptin. Precision Nutrition states that 5-10% of obese people are leptin deficient and this is a genetic disorder. If too much is consumed constantly you can become leptin resistant (www.precisionnutrition.com). This is similar to a type two diabetic. When too much leptin is constantly in the system the body stops responding to the hormone being secreted. This is particularity harmful because of the fact that leptin controls the feeling of being full. If a person has lost that ability they may see significant weight gain. A problem with the body is, it wants to stay the same. The body does not like to change, so when weight is lost leptin levels decrease and ghrelin levels increase. This results in increased hunger along with a decreased ability to feel full. David Weigle et al., an Endocrinologist at Harborview Medical Center, found that a restricted calorie diet with weight loss increased ghrelin levels and decreased leptin levels. The changes in the hormones could explain the greater appetite dieters face, the little results of weight loss, and the problem maintaining a steady body weight (1577). A study done by Ana Crujeiras et al., a researcher at the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology Health Research Institute of Santiago, proved that participants on an eight week study with a calorie reduction of 500-600 calories had significantly lower leptin levels and increased ghrelin levels. After the eight weeks there was a 2.1% increase in ghrelin levels and a 44.9% decrease in leptin levels (5039,5040). Therefore the body reacts to a change, which could be due to homeostasis and the want to stay at the current weight. This could truly be the reason for the low success rates in dieting and weight loss. Conclusion Obesity is a large problem and weight loss is an even bigger challenge that many people face. Leptin and ghrelin are two hormones that make it harder to attempt weight loss by trying to keep the body the same. By understanding these hormones and how they affect weight gain and loss, it will be easier to understand and develop a way to make it easier for people to lose weight. Blocking ghrelin receptors in the hypothalamus or adding leptin into the blood stream could be possible ways for effective weight loss, and a solution to a problem so many people face.

Literature Cited Crujeiras A, Goyenechea E, Abete I, Lage M, Carreira M, Martinez A, Casanueva F. Weight Regain after a Diet-Induced Loss is Predicted by Higher Baseline Leptin and Lower Ghrelin Plasma Levels. J Clin Endocrinal Metab 2010; Pages: 5037-5043. Hormones: Medline Plus. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hormones.html. Acessed: October 16, 2012.

Klok M, Jakobsdottir S, Drent M. The role of leptin and ghrelin in the regulation of food intake and body weight in humans: a review. The International Association for the Study of Obesity; Volume 8 Pages 21-34. Kollias H. Leptin, Ghrelin, Weight Loss: Its Complicated. http://www.precisionnutrition.com/leptin-ghrelin-weight-loss. Acessed: October 15, 2012. Mantzoros C, Magkos F, Brinkoetter M, Sienkiewicz E, Dardeno T, Kim S, Hamnvik O, Koniaris A. American Journal of Physiology- Endocrinology and Metabolism 2011; Volume 301 Pages: E567-E577. Weigle D, Cummings D, Newby P, Breen P, Frayo S, Matthys C, Callahan H, Purnell J. Roles of Leptin and Ghrelin in the Loss of Body Weight Caused by a Low Fat, High Carbohydrate Diet. The Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism 2003; Volume 88 Pages: 1577-1586. Zigman J, Nakano Y, Coppari R, Balthasar N, Marcus J, Lee C, Jones J, Deysher A, Waxman A, White R, Williams T, Lachey J, Seeley R, Lowell B, Elmquist J. Mice lacking ghrelin receptors resist the development of diet-induced obesity. The Journal of Clinical Investigation 2005; Volume 115 Number 12 Pages: 3564-3571.