瘦素及其受体研究

Study on Leptin and Its Receptor

瘦素是肥胖基因的产物,主要在白色脂肪组织中表达。成熟的瘦素分子是由146个氨基酸残基组成的单链多肽,相对分子质量为14×103。作为一种激素,瘦素通过其受体的信号转导影响着机体的多种生理过程,如摄食和能量代谢的调节、糖和脂肪代谢的调节、生殖功能的调节、促进生长和参与造血和免疫功能的调节、内分泌功能调节等,而且许多疾病时,如肥胖、高血压、冠心病、动脉粥样硬化等,血浆瘦素水平都出现明显的变化。

Leptin is an obese gene product, mainly expressed in the white fatty tissue. The mature leptin is a single polypeptide composed of 146 amino acid residues,and its molecular weight is14×10^3. As a hormone, the leptin can influence many physiological processes in a living organism through its receptor mediated signal transduction, such as ingestion of food, regulations of energy metabolism, carbohydrate and fat metabolism, and reproductiive function. In addition,it is involved in the processes of growth, hematopoiesis,immunity, and endocrine, and so on. The plasma level of leptin in many cases may be obviously changed, such as those patients suffered from obesity, hypertension, coronary disease, and atherosclerosis, and so on.