Human leptin levels are pulsatile and inversely related to pituitary–ardenal function

Leptin communicates nutritional status to regulatory centers in the brain1,2. Because peripheral leptin influences the activity of the highly pulsatile adrenal and gonadal axes3,4, we sought to determine whether leptin levels in the blood are pulsatile. We measured circulating leptin levels every 7 minutes for 24 hours, in six healthy men, and found that total circulating leptin levels exhibited a pattern indicative of pulsatile release, with...