Obesity can be considered as a low grade inflammatory disease, characterized by increased plasma levels of proinflammatory
cytokines such as tumoral
necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), and
acute phase reactant proteins like
C-reactive protein. In this context, some
cytokines of the
interleukin-6 (IL-6) family have been involved in the inflammatory processes associated to
obesity. In addition to
IL-6, the
IL-6 cytokine family includes
IL-11,
ciliary neurotrophic factor (
cntf), cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1),
cardiotrophin-like cytokine (CLC),
leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) y
Oncostatin M (OsM). These
proteins are also known as gp130
cytokines because all of them exert their action via the
glycoprotein 130 (gp130) as a common transducer
protein within their functional receptor complexes. However, their role in
obesity and related disorders is controversial; thus, whereas some studies have described the involvement of gp130
cytokines in the development of
obesity and its related cluster of pathophysiologic conditions like
insulin-resistance,
fatty liver and
cardiovascular diseases, other trials have proposed the gp130 receptor
ligands as therapeutic targets in the treatment of
obesity and its related disorders. In fact,
CNTF treatment has demonstrated to be effective in the reduction of
body weight, by promoting the inhibition of food intake and the activation of the energy expenditure, together with an improvement of
insulin sensitivity. This review analyzes the potential therapeutic role of some of the gp130
ligands in
obesity and related diseases.