A mathematical model of leptin resistance

Marine Jacquier (1, 2, 3) , Hédi A. Soula (4, 5) , Fabien Crauste (1, 2)

1 ICJ - Institut Camille Jordan
2 DRACULA - Multi-scale modelling of cell dynamics : application to hematopoiesis
3 MMCS - Modélisation mathématique, calcul scientifique
4 BEAGLE - Artificial Evolution and Computational Biology
5 CarMeN - Cardiovasculaire, métabolisme, diabétologie et nutrition

Obesity is often associated with leptin resistance, which leads to a physiological system with high leptin concentration but unable to respond to leptin signals and to regulate food intake. We propose a mathematical model of the leptin-leptin receptors system, based on the assumption that leptin is a regulator of its own receptor activity, and investigate its qualitative behavior. Based on current knowledge and previous models developed for body weight dynamics in rodents, the model includes the dynamics of leptin, leptin receptors and the regulation of food intake and body weight. It displays two stable equilibria, one representing a healthy state and the other one an obese and leptin resistant state. We show that a constant leptin injection can lead to leptin resistance and that a temporal variation in some parameter values influencing food intake can induce a change of equilibrium and a pathway to leptin resistance and obesity.

Mots clés: leptin resistance; obesity; nonlinear model; food intake regulation

Domaines: Alimentation et Nutrition; Modélisation et simulation; Bio-Informatique, Biologie Systémique [q-bio.QM]

Marine Jacquier, Hédi A. Soula, Fabien Crauste. A mathematical model of leptin resistance. Mathematical Biosciences, 2015, 267, ⟨10.1016/j.mbs.2015.06.008⟩. ⟨hal-01233483⟩