The aim of this study was to determine through morphological and biochemical means the biosynthetic and secretory pathway followed by leptin in adipocytes. Immunocytochemistry revealed the presence of leptin in the rough endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi apparatus, and in numerous small vesicles along the plasma membrane of white adipo cytes. In vitro, isolated adipocytes under nonstimulated conditions (basal) continuously secreted leptin while their intra cellular content remained unchanged. When adipocytes were stimulated with insulin, leptin cellular content and secretion increased in parallel and were significantly different from basal secretion only after 45 min. L-leucine and L-glutamate also strongly stimulated leptin synthesis and secretion. These stimulating effects were abolished by cycloheximide and brefeldin A. The transcriptional inhibitor actinomycin D did not have any effects in either basal or stimulated conditions. Leptin mRNA levels were not affected by any stimulating or inhibiting agents. Finally, norepinephrine, isoproterenol, CL316243, and palmitate inhibited the effects of insulin, L-leucine, and L-glutamate on leptin synthesis. We thus conclude that (i) adipocytes continuously synthesize and secrete leptin along a rough endoplasmic reticulum–Golgi secretory vesicles pathway, (ii) an increase in leptin secretion requires increased de novo synthesis, and (iii) short-term leptin secretion does not involve changes in mRNA levels.Key words: leptin, vesicles, constitutive secretion, de novo synthesis, transcription.