Gene knockout animal model revealed that leptin derived from adipose tissue played an important role in the regulation of skeletal metabolism. Further researches found that the central regulation of leptin on skeletal metabolism depended on hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus to regulate the proliferation of osteoblast and differentiation of osteoclast. In this paper, related signal transduction pathways of bone absorption and bone formation regulated by leptin are reviewed. The aim of this paper is to provide a reference for further improvement of bone health of human.［Chinese Journal of Animal Nutrition, 2010，22（6）:1482-1487］