Does kisspeptin act as a neuropeptide or as an adipokine in obese people?

OBJECTIVES

Obesity is a serious global issue with a massive impact on the health and life of people worldwide. Besides being a neuropeptide, kisspeptin is an important adipokine involved in regulating energy homeostasis and body weight. This study aims to clarify the underlying role of kisspeptin in obesity.

METHODS

This case-control study included 110 obese individuals with BMI of 33.45 ± 0.36 kg/m and 84 normal-weight individuals with BMI 21.35 ± 0.24 kg/m. The individuals' ages ranged from 21 to 45 years (31.56 ± 0.67 year). Kisspeptin, neutrophil epithelial activating peptide (ENA-78), and ghrelin were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Lipid profile parameters were determined using the commercial colorimetric techniques.

RESULTS

Plasma concentrations of kisspeptin and ENA-78 were significantly higher in obese subjects (kisspeptine of obese: 437.66 ± 34.96 pg/ml; kisspeptine of normal-weight: 250.10 ± 16.16 pg/ml, < 0.0001; ENA-78 of obese: 144.80 ± 23.94 pg/ml; ENA-78 of normal-weight: 50.97 ± 3.91 pg/ml, < 0.001). Ghrelin concentrations showed no significant difference between obese and normal-weight subjects. The lipid profile parameters significantly differed between obese and normal-weight subjects.

CONCLUSION

Kisspeptin is associated with obesity. An increased mass of adipose tissue could be responsible not only for increased kisspeptin secretion but also for the increased ENA-78 secretion. Kisspeptin may act as an adipokine more than a neuropeptide in obese population. Further studies on humans are required to establish the underlying role of kisspeptin in adipocyte differentiation and lipogenesis.