The “Adipo-Cerebral” Dialogue in Childhood Obesity: Focus on Growth and Puberty. Physiopathological and Nutritional Aspects

Abstract

Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents are overwhelming problems in western countries. Adipocytes, far from being only fat deposits, are capable of endocrine functions, and the endocrine activity of adipose tissue, resumable in adipokines production, seems to be a key modulator of central nervous system function, suggesting the existence of an “adipo-cerebral axis.” This connection exerts a key role in children growth and puberty development, and it is exemplified by the leptin–kisspeptin interaction. The aim of this review was to describe recent advances in the knowledge of adipose tissue endocrine functions and their relations with nutrition and growth. The peculiarities of major adipokines are briefly summarized in the first paragraph; leptin and its interaction with kisspeptin are focused on in the second paragraph; the third paragraph deals with the regulation of the GH-IGF axis, with a special focus on the model represented by growth hormone deficiency (GHD); finally, old and new nutritional aspects are described in the last paragraph.