The effect of 3 days of intensive treatment with acipimox, an antilipolytic nicotinic acid derivative, on plasma leptin levels was studied in eight patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. Acipimox reduced plasma free fatty acids (FFA) markedly and lowered plasma triglycerides, glucose and insulin. Plasma leptin levels were elevated in all eight patients during 3 days of acipimox treatment (mean increase+/-s.e.: 2.38+/-0.57ng/ml, P<0.005) and the 24h mean effect of acipimox on leptin levels increased during the experimental period (P<0.03). The effect on plasma insulin and glucose resembled a mirror image of the effect on plasma leptin during 3 days of treatment. The suggestion that leptin mediates insulin resistance and may be involved in the development of the diabetic syndrome cannot be supported by the present results. It has been reported that FFA stimulates leptin secretion. Surprisingly, despite a markedly reduced FFA level, leptin concentration increased in the present study. We suggest that a primary acipimox effect is to increase leptin secretion, and that this prevails over the reduced FFA stimulus.