Possible crosstalk between leptin and insulin resistance in sedentary obese boys at different stages of puberty

Abstract

Puberty with interactive growth in tissues is a sensitive period in life that can be more affected by obesity. Also the increase of leptin and insulin resistant independent of obesity have been seen in puberty. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of puberty on changes in leptin, testosterone, and insulin resistance in sedentary obese boy with considering possible crosstalk between leptin and insulin resistance. 58 sedentary obese boys (14.10 + 1.37 years) participated in this study. Tanner stage scales were used to measure puberty by self-reporting. Initially anthropometric characteristics and then, fasting serum’s glucose, insulin, leptin and testosterone, were measured. With increasing mature from TS2 to TS5, the increasing of testosterone, body mass and lean body mass and the reduction of body fat percentage were significantly (p≤0.05). but the changes in leptin and HOMA-IR were not significant. However, the decreased leptin after adjusting for BMI between TS3 and TS4 were significant (p≤0.05). During puberty, rapid growth in muscle tissue were associated with decreased body fat percent, serum leptin and insulin resistance. Among the possible reasons is a 15-fold increase in serum testosterone from TS2 to TS5. These changes reflect the cross talk between muscle and adipose tissue by hormonal mediators.

Keywords

• obese boys
• leptin
• testosterone
• homa-ir
• pubertal stages