Minireview: Glucocorticoid−Leptin Crosstalk: Role of Glucocorticoid–Leptin Counterregulation in Metabolic Homeostasis and Normal Development.

This article focuses on the counterregulatory interactions between glucocorticoids (GCs) and leptin, two hormones that jointly regulate metabolic homeostasis, appetite, energy expenditure, and organ development in mammals. It highlights how GCs upregulate leptin production, while leptin suppresses GC production through direct and indirect mechanisms, a balance that is critical during fetal and neonatal development to protect organs from excessive stress hormones via a stress-hyporesponsive period (SHRP). Disruptions in this GC–leptin interplay, such as from maternal stress or undernutrition, may impair organogenesis and increase the risk of metabolic, neurological, and behavioral disorders in adulthood. The review emphasizes the need for future research to consider the interdependence of GCs and leptin in developmental programming and adult disease susceptibility, beyond their established roles in appetite and metabolism.