Abstract:Leptin is a protein hormone which is a major product of adipose tissue, and plays an important role in the central regulation of food intake and energy metabolism. Recently, the stomach has been identified as an important source of leptin (gastric leptin). We searched MEDLINE (through PubMed), Science Citation Index (SCI) Expanded, CNKI, and WANFANG Database in April 2011, using the search terms including stomach, gastric and leptin, to seek the data of gastric leptin. The available literature demonstrated that gastric leptin can modulate carbohydrate, protein and fat absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, regulate the cardiovascular function independently, and may have an important effect on the prevention and treatment of obesity. It is also reported that gastric leptin and fat leptin synergistically control feeding behavior and energy storage. In this paper, we reviewed the new roles of gastric leptin reported in recent years, focusing on the nutrient absorption, cardiovascular regulation, food intake and energy balance. More researches to explore and confirm the new roles of gastric leptin are expected.