Leptin in the reproductive arena: Leptin and Reproduction edited by Michael C. Henson and V. Daniel Castracane. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2003. EUR 153.00/US$165.00/GBP£105.00 (xx+352 Pages) ISBN 0 306 47488 3

View Large Image | Download PowerPoint SlideIn the introduction to the much needed Leptin and Reproduction, the editors (who also contribute three chapters, including the introduction) state that nearly 6000 Medline entries related to leptin were published by the end of 2002 – there are now nearly 1500 articles devoted specifically to leptin and reproduction. Leptin was first discovered because of its action as a regulator of appetite and metabolic rate, but it has since been recognized to be a major regulator of reproductive function. Thus, this book is an extremely useful resource for summarizing an important and rapidly growing field. It covers a broad range of topics related to leptin and reproduction, including major sections devoted to general reproductive function, puberty, pregnancy and genetics. The final section, ‘Clinical Challenges’, includes a discussion of the potential roles of leptin in pre-eclampsia, hypothalamic amenorrhea and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Because the study of leptin in these pathologies is still an incompletely developed field, these chapters are of necessity more useful for clinical research than in current clinical practice.A survey of chapters reveals them to be accurate and comprehensive reviews. As with all books of this nature, one cannot expect the very latest research (produced since publication of the book) to be included, particularly in such a rapidly moving field of research. However, emerging concepts of the many documented or putative roles of leptin in fertility, pregnancy, lactation and other aspects of reproduction are extensively covered. For example, the chapter on leptin in the placenta and the short chapter on leptin in the uterus provide some interesting hypotheses for future research rather than merely offering a summary of the current literature.Most of the book focuses on female reproduction, which probably reflects the content of available literature more than any bias on the part of the editors. There is one chapter devoted entirely to leptin and male reproduction, and portions of the chapters focusing on puberty and gonadotropin regulation also discuss males. The book also focuses almost exclusively on rodent and primate (including human) models, except for a chapter on ovarian steroidogenesis that contains data from bovine studies and a chapter on puberty that includes data from ovine studies, which also raises interesting questions that point to the significance of species differences in the physiology of leptin and reproduction. The overall focus on rodent and primate studies might make the book most useful to readers interested in biomedical research, but the comprehensive coverage of ideas related to leptin and reproduction will broaden the scope of usefulness to include those interested in animal science or non-traditional animal models.The editors are leaders in the field and have made an obvious effort to present each chapter in a consistent style and layout, with appropriate and sufficient use of experimental data and, in some cases, images. Although there is some overlap in the material covered within sections of certain chapters, overall Leptin and Reproduction is encompassing and analytical, and should be a valuable resource for anyone studying the importance of leptin in reproduction.