International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Unraveling the Role of Leptin in Liver Function and Its Relationship with Liver Diseases Maite Martínez-Uña 1, Yaiza López-Mancheño 1, Carlos Diéguez 2,3, Manuel A. Fernández-Rojo 1,4 and Marta G. Novelle 1,2,3,* 1 Hepatic Regenerative Medicine Group, Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food (IMDEA-Food), CEI-UAM+CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain;
[email protected] (M.M.-U.);
[email protected] (Y.L.-M.);
[email protected] (M.A.F.-R.) 2 Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases, CIMUS, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
[email protected] 3 CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain 4 School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, 4006 Brisbane, Australia * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 28 September 2020; Accepted: 4 December 2020; Published: 9 December 2020 Abstract: Since its discovery twenty-five years ago, the fat-derived hormone leptin has provided a revolutionary framework for studying the physiological role of adipose tissue as an endocrine organ. Leptin exerts pleiotropic effects on many metabolic pathways and is tightly connected with the liver, the major player in systemic metabolism. As a consequence, understanding the metabolic and hormonal interplay between the liver and adipose tissue could provide us with new therapeutic targets for some chronic liver diseases, an increasing problem worldwide. In this review, we assess relevant literature regarding the main metabolic effects of leptin on the liver, by direct regulation or through the central nervous system (CNS).