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

Abstract

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/m2 and 84 normalweight individuals with BMI 21.35 0.24 kg/m2. 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, p< 0.0001; ENA-78 of obese: 144.80 23.94 pg/ml; ENA-78 of normal-weight: 50.97 3.91 pg/ml, p< 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.