Resistin is a small protein secreted by the immune cells monocytes and macrophages, and has been linked to insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, and inflammation. Recently, studies in mice have shown that resistin is present in the mouse hypothalamus and that it is capable of activating specific neurons. These and other studies have highlighted the importance of a brain-liver circuit in controlling glucose and insulin handling in the body. In a study appearing online in advance of publication in the June print issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Luciano Rossetti and colleagues from Yeshiva University found that resistin delivery to the hypothalamus in mice stimulated changes in the circulating levels of hormones that help regulate glucose production, in a manner independent of glucose production itself. Conversely, administration of specific anti-resistin antibodies markedly diminished the ability of circulating resistin to increase glucose production. The study extends our understanding of resistin physiology by showing that resistin exerts its potent actions on the liver partly via its action within the hypothalamus. Secondly, resistin exerts proinflammatory influence on the liver through both peripheral and central mechanisms. The authors suggest that the action of resistin in the hypothalamus may contribute to high blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetics. TITLE: Hypothalamic resistin induces hepatic insulin resistance AUTHOR CONTACT: Luciano Rossetti Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York, USA. ### JCI table of contents: May 24, 2007 Contact: Brooke Grindlinger