Obesity, aging and leptin resistance. Leptin regulates triglyceride homeostasis in organs like the heart, lung and pancreas. But, cells other than fat cells have a very limited capacity to store excess fat. Ceramide causes cell death by increasing nitric oxide production. Diabetes occurs in obesity because the reduced number of b -cells cannot meet the increased demands for insulin imposed by the elevated fat content of the target tissues.
Identical abnormalities occur in nonadipose tissue throughout the body.
They found that the anorexic and lipolytic actions of leptin decline with age, and this may account for the abnormalities of lipid metabolism in the elderly. Zucker diabetic rats by adenovirus gene transfer were compared. Food intake, body fat, free fatty acids, triglycerides, and the effect of a high-fat diet were measured. Food intake and body weight. But leptin was much more effective in curbing food intake in young animals.