There seems to be a link between body fat and some body functions.
For example, Body weight exceeding 140-150 percent above the normal range
is associated with irregular bleeding and fertility problems.
The increased body weight in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO)
is associated with infertility and infrequent menstruation.
Some new insights are revealing as how body fat and
other body functions may be linked. It is known
that leptin injections reduce the body fat.
The protein encoded by the ob gene may, in addition to
regulation of the body fat, affect the reproductive function.
ob/ob mice are severly obese and in addition are subfertile.
In the March issue of Nature Genetics, Farid Chehab et al
show that mice that received injections of recombinant human
leptin lost about 40% of their body fat in a month, and
became pregnant. The control group that received normal
saline lost only about 13% of their body fat and did not get
pregnant. These findings bring hope to the treatment of
certain types of infertility associated with the obesity.
The possibility exists that in some conditions,
leptin receptor rather than the leptin may be deficient. For
example, the amount of leptin in the peripheral blood of
obese men and women is normal or elevated. In such cases
administration of leptin would not be expected to reduce body
fat, rather the molecular pathway that resides beyond the
receptor should be stimulated in order to treat the obesity
or the infertility due to the leptin receptor deficiency.
There seems to be a link between body fat and some body functions.
For example, Body weight exceeding 140-150 percent above the normal range
is associated with irregular bleeding and fertility problems.
The increased body weight in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO)
is associated with infertility and infrequent menstruation.
Some new insights are revealing as how body fat and
other body functions may be linked. It is known
that leptin injections reduce the body fat.
The protein encoded by the ob gene may, in addition to
regulation of the body fat, affect the reproductive function.
ob/ob mice are severly obese and in addition are subfertile.
In the March issue of Nature Genetics, Farid Chehab et al
show that mice that received injections of recombinant human
leptin lost about 40% of their body fat in a month, and
became pregnant. The control group that received normal
saline lost only about 13% of their body fat and did not get
pregnant. These findings bring hope to the treatment of
certain types of infertility associated with the obesity.
The possibility exists that in some conditions,
leptin receptor rather than the leptin may be deficient. For
example, the amount of leptin in the peripheral blood of
obese men and women is normal or elevated. In such cases
administration of leptin would not be expected to reduce body
fat, rather the molecular pathway that resides beyond the
receptor should be stimulated in order to treat the obesity
or the infertility due to the leptin receptor deficiency.
