Associate Researcher
Department of Nutrition
Office: 3426 Meyer Hall
Phone: (530) 752-6553
e-mail: pjhavel@ucdavis.edu

Dr. Havel's research is focused on two interrelated dieases of major medical and economic importance, diabetes and obesity. He is studying the role of the autonomic nervous system in regulating pancreatic hormone (insulin and glucagon) secretion and intermediary metabolism as well as examining the mechanisms responsible for impaired defenses against hypoglycemia in humans and animals with diabetes. Hypoglycemia resulting from counterregulatory deficits limits the ability to control blood sugar and reduce the long-term complications of diabetes.

Dr. Havel has several projects investigating the regulation of secretion and the actions of the recently discovered adipocyte hormone, leptin, which is involved in the regulation of energy balance via its effects on feeding behavior and energy expenditure. His work in this area includes nutritional studies in humans and animals as well as in vitro experimentation. His current research focuses primarily on the molecular and biochemical mechanisms regulating leptin production and the role of endocrine, metabolic, and dietary factors in the overall regulation of energy homeostasis and in the pathophysiology of obesity and type-2 diabetes. Research conducted in Dr. Havel's laboratory demonstrated that leptin production by adipose tissue is regulated by glucose metabolism (Endocrinology, 1998). In addition, work from his laboratory has shown that consumption of high fat meals reduces circulating leptin concentrations in humans (Diabetes, 1999), a finding that has implications for the etiology of diet-induced obesity and the risk of type-2 diabetes in animals and humans consuming high-fat diets.

Havel, Peter J., Kasim-Karakas, Sidika, Dubuc, Gloria, Wendy Mueller and Stephen D. Phinney. Gender differences in plasma leptin concentration. Nature Med. 2: 949-950, 1996.

Havel, Peter J., Kasim-Karakas, Sidika, Mueller, Wendy, Johnson, Patricia R., Gingerich, Ronald L., and Judith S. Stern. Relationship of plasma leptin to plasma insulin and adiposity in normal weight and overweight women: Effects of dietary fat content and sustained weight loss. J. Clin. Endo. Metab. 81: 4406-4413, 1996.

Taborsky Jr., Gerald J., Havel, Peter J., and Daniel Porte, Jr. Stress-Induced Activation of the Neuroendocrine System and its Effects on Carbohydrate Metabolism. Ch. 8, p 141-168, In: Diabetes Mellitus, Theory and Practice. 5th Edition. D. Porte, Jr. and R. S. Sherwin, Eds., 1997.

Havel, Peter J., and Bo Ahren. Activation of autonomic nerves and the adrenal medulla contributes to increased glucagon secretion during moderate insulin-induced hypoglycemia in women. Diabetes 46: 801-807, 1997.

Ahren, Bo, Sven Mansson, Ronald L. Gingerich, and Peter J. Havel. Regulation of plasma leptin in mice: Influence of age, high-fat diet, and fasting. Am. J. Physiol. 273: R113-120, 1997.

Havel, Peter J. Leptin Production and Action: Relevance to Human Energy Balance. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, (Editorial), 67: 355-356, 1998.

Taborsky, Gerald J, Ahren Bo, and Peter J. Havel. Autonomic Mediation of Glucagon Secretion During Hypoglycemia: Implications for Impaired A-Cell Responses in Type-1 Diabetes, Perspective in Diabetes, Diabetes, 47: 995-1005, 1998.

Mueller, Wendy, Gregoire, Francine, Stanhope, Kimber, Mobbs, Charles V., Mizuno, Tooru M., Warden, Craig H., Stern, Judith S., and Peter J. Havel. Evidence that glucose metabolism regulates leptin secretion from cultured rat adipocytes. Endocrinology 139: 551-558, 1998.

Weigle, David S., Schwartz, Michael W., Selfridge, Leah E., Seeley, Randy J., Cummings, David E., Havel, Peter J., and Joseph L. Kuijper. Elevated free fatty acids induce uncoupling protein 3 expression in muscle. Diabetes 47: 298-302, 1998.

Dubuc, Gloria R., Phinney, Stephen D., Stern, Judith S., and Peter J. Havel. Changes of serum leptin and endocrine and metabolic parameters after 7 days energy restriction in men and women. Metabolism, Clin. and Exp. 47: 429-434, 1998.

Havel, Peter J., Uriu-Hare, Janet Y., Liu, Tina, Stanhope, Kimber L., Stern, Judith S., Keen, Carl L., and Bo Ahren. Rapid and marked decreases of circulating leptin in streptozotocin diabetic rats: Reversal by insulin. Am. J. Physiol. 274: R1482-R1491, 1998.

Chavez, Mark, Seeley, Randy J., Havel, Peter J., Friedman, Mark I., Woods, Stephen C., and Michael W. Schwartz. Effects of a high-fat diet on food intake and hypothalamic neuropeptide gene expression in streptozotocin diabetes. J. Clin. Invest. 102: 340-346,1998.

Keim, Nancy L., Stern, Judith S., and Peter J. Havel. Relationship between circulating leptin concentrations and appetite during prolonged moderate energy restriction in women. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 68: 794-801, 1998.

Havel, Peter J., Warden, Nancy Schonfeld, and Craig H. Warden. Relevance of Animal Models of Type II Diabetes to Humans. Ch. 7, pp 127-142. In: Towards Prediction and Prevention of NIDDM. Grahm A. Hitman, Ed., J. Wiley, West Sussex, U.K., 1999.

Havel, Peter J., Larsen, Philip J., and Judy L. Cameron. Control of Food Intake. Ch. 19, pp 335-352, In: Neuroendocrinology in Science and Medicine. P. Michael Conn and Mark Freeman, Eds., Humana Press, Totowa, NJ, 1999.

Havel, Peter J. Mechanisms Regulating Leptin Production: Implications for Control of Energy Balance. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, (Editorial) 70: 305-306, 1999.

Havel, Peter J., Townsend, Raymond, Chaump, Leslie, and Karen Teff. High fat meals reduce 24 h circulating leptin concentrations in women. Diabetes 48: 334-341, 1999.

Tang-Christensen, Mads, Havel, Peter J., Jacobs, Rebecca R., Larsen, Philip J. and Judy L. Cameron. Central administration of leptin inhibits food intake and activates the sympathetic nervous system in rhesus macaques. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 84: 711-717, 1999.

Sindelar, Dana K., Havel, Peter J., Seeley, Randy J., Wilkinson, Charles W., Woods, Stephen C., and Michael W. Schwartz. Low plasma leptin levels contribute to diabetic hyperphagia in rats. Diabetes 48: 1275-1280 1999.

Ahren Bo, and Peter J. Havel. Leptin increases circulating glucose, insulin, and glucagon via sympathetic neural activation in fasted mice. Int. J. Obesity 23: 660-665, 1999.

Matyka, Krystyna A., Crowne, Elizabeth C., Havel, Peter J., Macdonald, Ian A., Mathews, David, and David B. Dunger. Defective counterregulation during spontaneous nocturnal hypoglycemia in pre-pubertal children with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care 22: 1144-1150, 1999.

Medina, Edward A., Stanhope, Kimber L., Mizuno, Tooru M., Mobbs, Charles V., Gregoire, Francine, Hubbard, Neil E., Erickson, Kent L. and Peter J. Havel. Effects of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) on leptin secretion and gene expression: Relationship to changes of glucose metabolism in isolated rat adipocytes. Int. J. Obesity, 23: 896-903, 1999.

Ahren, Bo, and Peter J. Havel. Leptin inhibits insulin secretion induced by cellular cAMP in a pancreatic ß cell line (INS-1 cells). Am. J. Physiol. (Regulatory, Int., Comp. Physiol.) 277: R959-R966, 1999.

Blevins, J. Ernie, Havel, Peter J., Beverley, Joseph L., and Dorothy W. Gietzen. Leptin in the anterior piriform cortex affects food intake in rats. Nutr. Neurosci. 2: 357-367, 1999.

Murray, Ian, Sniderman, Allan D., Havel, Peter J., and Katherine Cianflone. Acylation stimulating protein (ASP) deficiency alters postprandial and adipose tissue metabolism in male mice. J. Biol. Chem., 274: 36219-36225, 1999.

Havel, Peter J. Role of Adipose Tissue in Body Weight Regulation: Mechanisms Regulating Leptin Production and Energy Balance. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 59: 359-371, 2000.

Havel, Peter J. Mechanisms regulating leptin production by adipose tissue: implications for the control of energy metabolism. In Adipocyte Biology and HIV Disease, Meeting Report of the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research. August 28, 2000, Washington, D.C., Morris Schambelan, and Marc Reitman, eds. Web address: www.hivforum.

Havel, Peter J., Hahn, Tina M. , Sindelar, Dana K. , Baskin, Denis G, Dallman, Mary F., Weigle, David S., and Michael W. Schwartz. Effects of streptozotocin diabetes and insulin treatment on the hypothalamic melanocortin system and muscle uncoupling protein 3 expression in rats. Diabetes 49: 244-252, 2000.

Murray, Ian, Peter J. Havel, A.D. Sniderman, and Katherine Cianflone. Reduced body weight, adipose tissue and leptin levels, despite increased food intake, in female mice lacking Acylation Stimulating Protein (ASP). Endocrinology 141: 1041-1049, 2000.

Backus, Robert C., Peter J. Havel, Ronald L. Gingerich, and Quinton R. Rogers. Relationship between serum leptin immunoreactivity of cats and body fat mass as estimated by a novel gas-phase FTIR deuterium dilution method. Am. J. Vet. Res. 61: 796-801, 2000.

Lonnerdal, Bo, and Peter J. Havel. Serum leptin in infants: Effects of diet, gender, and adiposity. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 72: 484-489, 2000.

Mueller, Wendy M., Stanhope, Kimber L., Gregoire, Francine, Evans, Joseph L., and Peter J. Havel. Effects of metformin and vanadium on leptin secretion from cultured rat adipocytes. Obesity Res. 8: 530-539, 2000.

McMinn, Julie E, Wilkinson, Charles W., Havel, Peter J., Hahn, Tina M., Woods, Stephen C., and Michael W. Schwartz. Effects of intraventricular a-MSH on food intake, adiposity, c-Fos induction and neuropeptide expression. Am. J. Physiol., 279: R695-R703, 2000.

Ahrén, Bo, N. Michael Baldwin, and Peter J. Havel. Pharmacokinetics of human leptin in mice and rhesus monkeys. Int. J. Obesity 24: 1579-1585, 2000.

Mystkowski, Paul, Seeley, Randy J., Hahn, Tina M., Baskin, Denis G., Havel, Peter J., Matsumoto, Alvin C., Wilkinson, Charles W., Peacock-Kinzig, Kimberly, Blake, Kathleen A., and Michael W. Schwartz . Hypothalamic melanin concentrating hormone and estrogen-induced weight loss. J. Neuroscience 20: 8637-8642, 2000.

Medina, Edward A., Horn, William F., Keim, Nancy L., Havel Peter J., Benito, P, Kelley, Darshan S., Nelson, Gary J., and Kent L. Erickson. Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation in humans: effects on circulating leptin concentrations and appetite. Lipids 35: 783-788, 2000.

McMinn, Julie E, Sindelar, Dana K., Havel, Peter J., and Michael W. Schwartz. Leptin deficiency induced by fasting impairs the satiety response to cholecytokinin: Role of central NPY. Endocrinology, 141: 4442-4448, 2000.

Oberbauer, Anita M., Jonathan A. Runstadler, James D. Murray, and Peter J. Havel. Obesity and elevated plasma leptin concentrations in oMT1A-o growth hormone transgenic mice. Obesity Res. 9: 51-58, 2001.

D'Alessio, David, Kieffer, Timothy J., Taborsky, Gerald J., and Peter J. Havel. Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system contributes to meal-induced insulin secretion in rhesus macaques. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 86: 1253-1259, 2001.

Saleh, J., Blevins, J. E., Havel, P. J., Barrett, J. A., Gietzen, D. W., & Cianflone, K. Acylation stimulating protein (ASP) acute effects on postprandial lipemia and food intake in rodents. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2001;25: 705-713.

Figlewicz, D. P., Higgins, M. S., Ng-Evans, S. B., & Havel, P. J. Leptin reverses sucrose-conditioned place preference in food-restricted rats. Physiol Behav 2001;73: 229-234.

Moreno-Aliaga, M. J., Stanhope, K. L., & Havel, P. J. Transcriptional regulation of the leptin promoter by insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism in 3t3-l1 adipocytes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2001;283: 544-548.

Oberbauer, A. M., Runstadler, J. A., Murray, J. D., & Havel, P. J. Obesity and elevated plasma leptin concentration in oMT1A-o growth hormone transgenic mice. Obes Res 2001;9: 51-58.

D'Alessio, D. A., Kieffer, T. J., Taborsky, G. J., Jr., & Havel, P. J. Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system is necessary for normal meal-induced insulin secretion in rhesus macaques. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001;86: 1253-1259.

Havel, P. J. Peripheral signals conveying metabolic information to the brain: short-term and long-term regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2001;226: 963-977.

Ahren, B., Taborsky, G. J., Jr., & Havel, P. J. Differential impairment of glucagon responses to hypoglycemia, neuroglycopenia, arginine, and carbachol in alloxan-diabetic mice. Metabolism 2002;51: 12-19.

Cnop, M., Landchild, M. J., Vidal, J., Havel, P. J., Knowles, N. G., Carr, D. R., Wang, F., Hull, R. L., Boyko, E. J., Retzlaff, B. M., Walden, C. E., Knopp, R. H., & Kahn, S. E. The concurrent accumulation of intra-abdominal and subcutaneous fat explains the association between insulin resistance and plasma leptin concentrations : distinct metabolic effects of two fat compartments. Diabetes 2002;51: 1005-1015.

Havel, P. J. Control of energy homeostasis and insulin action by adipocyte hormones: leptin, acylation stimulating protein, and adiponectin. Curr Opin Lipidol 2002;13: 51-59.

Moreno-Aliaga, M. J., Martinez, J. A., Stanhope, K. L., Fernandez-Otero, M. P., & Havel, P. J. Effects of Trecadrine(R), a beta3-adrenergic agonist, on leptin secretion, glucose and lipid metabolism in isolated rat adipocytes. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2002;26: 912-919.

Stefan, N., Vozarova, B., Funahashi, T., Matsuzawa, Y., Weyer, C., Lindsay, R. S., Youngren, J. F., Havel, P. J., Pratley, R. E., Bogardus, C., & Tataranni, P. A. Plasma adiponectin concentration is associated with skeletal muscle insulin receptor tyrosine phosphorylation, and low plasma concentration precedes a decrease in whole-body insulin sensitivity in humans. Diabetes 2002;51: 1884-1888.

Havel, Peter J. Control of Energy Homeostasis and Insulin Action by Adipocyte Hormones: Leptin, Acylation Stimulating Protein, and Adiponectin. Current Opinion in Lipidology. 2002;13: 51-59.

Elliott, Sharon S., Nancy L. Keim, Judith S. Stern, Karen Teff and Peter J. Havel. Fructose, Weight Gain, and the Insulin Resistance Syndrome. Review. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2002;76: 911-922.

Taborsky, Gerald J., Bo Ahren, Thomas O. Mundinger, Qi Mei, and Peter J. Havel. Autonomic Mechanism and Defects in the Glucagon Response to Insulin-Induced Hypoglycemia. Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolism, 2002;15:318-322.

May Faraj, Peter J. Havel, Steve Phelis, David Blank, Allan D. Sniderman, and Katherine Cianflone. Plasma acylation-stimulating protein, adiponectin, leptin, and ghrelin before and after weight loss induced by gastric bypass surgery in morbidly obese subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003;(4):1594-602.

M. Cnop, P.J. Havel, K.M. Utzschneider, D.B. Carr, M.K. Sinha, E.J. Boyko, B. M. Retzlaff, R.H. Knopp, J.D. Brunzell, and S.E. Kahn. Relationship of adiponectin to body fat distribution, insulin sensitivity and plasma lipoproteins: evidence for independent roles of age and sex. Diabetologia. 2003;(4):459-69.

Maria J. Moreno-Aliaga, Kimber L. Stanhope, Francine M. Gregoire, Craig H. Warden, and Peter J. Havel. Effects of inhibiting transcription and protein synthesis on basal and insulin-stimulated leptin gene expression and leptin secretion in cultured rat adipocytes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003;(4):907-14.

Robert S. Lindsay, James D. Walker, Peter J. Havel, Barbara A. Hamilton, Andrew A. Calder, and Frank D. Johnstone. Adiponectin is present in cord blood but is unrelated to birth weight. Diabetes Care. 2003;(8):2244-9.

B. Ahren, P.J. Havel, G. Pacini, and K. Cianflone. Acylation stimulating protein stimulates insulin secretion. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003;(9):1037-43.

Havel, P.J., Elliott, Sharon S., Nancy L. Keim, Judith S. Stern, and Karen Teff. Metabolic Effects of Dietary Fructose. Letter. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2003;78: 805-806.

Zhunan Xia, Kimber L. Stanhope, Erin Digitale, Oana-Maria Simion, Lanying Chen, Peter Havel, and Katherine Cianflone. Acylation-stimulating protein (ASP)/complement C3adesArg deficiency results in increased energy expenditure in mice. J Biol Chem. 2004;(6):4051-7.

C. Pender, I.D. Goldfine, C.J. Tanner, W.J. Pories, K.G. MacDonald, P.J. Havel, J.A. Houmard, and J.F. Youngren. Muscle insulin receptor concentrations in obese patients post bariatric surgery: relationship to hyperinsulinemia. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004;(3):363-9.

Vozarova de Courten, Barbora, Christian Weyer, Mark Horton, Norbert Stefan, Angelo DelParigi, Peter J. Havel, Clifton Bogardus, and P. Antonio Tataranni. Parasympathetic blockade attenuates augmented pancreatic polypeptide, but not insulin secretion in Pima Indians. Diabetes, 2004;53: 663-671.

Peter J. Havel. Update on adipocyte hormones: regulation of energy balance and carbohydrate/lipid metabolism. Diabetes 2004;53 (Suppl.1):S143-151.

K.L. Teff, S.S. Elliott, M. Tschop, T.J. Kieffer, D. Rader, M. Heiman, R.R. Townsend, N.L. Keim, D. D’Alessio, P.J. Havel. Dietary fructose reduces circulating insulin and leptin, attenuates postprandial suppression of ghrelin and increases triglycerides in women. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 2004;89: 2963-2972.

Chiu, Sally, Janis S. Fisler, Glenda M. Espinal, Peter J. Havel, Judith S. Stern, and Craig H. Warden. The yellow agouti mutation alters some but not all responses to diet and exercise. Obesity Research, 2004;12:1243-1255.