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At the molecular level, puberty remains an enigmatic process. This article details the discovery of a novel pathway involving GPR54 and its ligand, kisspeptin-1, in control of the gonadotropin-releasing-hormone pulsatility that characterizes sexual maturation and the female estrus cycle. These findings have clear implications for treatment of reproductive disorders.
As detailed in this Review, leptin seems to act primarily in states of energy deficiency, and common forms of obesity are characterized by leptin resistance. Clinical trials have shown leptin to be effective in subjects with relative or complete leptin deficiency.
Excess free fatty acids, an imbalance of adipocytokines and mitochondrial dysfunction all contribute to abnormalities in hepatocellular lipid content in diabetes and can lead to steatosis and insulin resistance. Thus liver fat is a novel target for therapies such as fat-reduced diets and thiazolidendiones.