Adipokines & energy balance
Adipose tissue as an endocrine organ — reporting how much fuel is in the tank.
leptin · adiponectin
Overview
Adipose tissue is not inert storage. It is an endocrine organ that secretes peptide hormones — the adipokines — which report the size of the body's energy reserves to the brain and tune whole-body metabolism.
Leptin signals the size of fat stores and restrains appetite; adiponectin tracks metabolic health and improves insulin sensitivity. Their dysregulation sits at the center of obesity and metabolic disease, which is why this family connects directly to the incretin and appetite pathways.
Key signals
Reports fat-store size to the hypothalamus; restrains appetite.
Improves insulin sensitivity; rises as fat mass falls — the inverse of leptin.
Reference notes
- Leptin resistance — high leptin with a blunted response — is a hallmark of common obesity, distinct from rare leptin deficiency.
- Adiponectin is unusual: its levels fall as fat mass rises, the opposite of leptin.
- These adipokines tie this family directly to the incretin and appetite-regulating systems.