Unsuccessful attempts to identify the leptin gene in birds are well documented, despite the characterization of its receptor (LEPR). Since leptin and LEPR have poor sequence conservation among vertebrates, we speculated that a functional assay should represent the best way to detect leptin in birds. Using a leptin bioassay that is based on activation of the chicken LEPR in cultured cells, blood...

Obesity is associated with increased blood pressure (BP), which in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. We found that the increase in leptin levels seen in diet-induced obesity (DIO) drives an increase in BP in rodents, an effect that was not seen in animals deficient in leptin or leptin receptors (LepR). Furthermore, humans with loss-of-function mutations in leptin and the LepR ...

AIM The occurrence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in schizophrenia patients receiving long-term antipsychotics (APs) contributes to their high mortality rate. We aimed to determine whether genetic polymorphisms of identified candidate genes are associated with MS in our study population. MATERIALS & METHODS We recruited 206 schizophrenia patients receiving AP treatment for at least a year. Cross-...

The aim: to study the contribution of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) leptin receptor (LEPR) gene and meta-inflammation markers formation metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) in children. Materials methods. A total 109 obese children aged 6–18 years were examined. Based on recommendations National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute (NHLBI), 2 observation groups formed. main group (n = 56) was ...

Appetite suppression is a common response to hypoxia in fish that confers significant energy savings. Yet little is known about the endocrine signals involved in the regulation of food intake during chronic hypoxia. Thus, we assessed the impact of chronic hypoxia on food intake, the expression of the potent anorexigenic signal leptin and its receptor (lepr), the mRNA levels of key hypothalamic ...

Plasma leptin is often elevated in obese individuals, and previous studies have suggested leptin as a factor that links obesity and atherosclerosis. Because macrophages play a key role in atherogenesis and are responsive to leptin, we hypothesized that leptin increases aortic root lesion formation, in part, through macrophage leptin receptor (LepR). Three different bone marrow transplantation s...

Increased leptin levels have been suggested to contribute to cardiac hypertrophy and attenuate cardiac lipid accumulation in obesity, although it has been difficult to separate leptin's direct effects from those caused by changes in body weight and adiposity. To determine whether leptin attenuates cardiac lipid accumulation in obesity or directly causes left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), we ge...

Type 2 diabetes is a polygenic disease and characterized by hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, and it is strongly associated with obesity. However, the mechanism by which obesity contributes to onset of type 2 diabetes is not well understood. We generated rat strains with a hyperglycemic quantitative trait locus (QTL) derived from the Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rat and a fa/fa (Lepr-/...

OBJECTIVE A consensus has not been reached regarding the association of several different gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). We performed a meta-analysis to better evaluate the associations between 5-HT2A, 5-HTT, and LEPR polymorphisms, and OSAS. METHOD 5-HT2A, 5-HTT, and LEPR polymorphisms and OSAS were identified in PubMed and EMBASE. The poole...

Evidence suggests that the role played by the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin in female reproductive physiology is mediated in part by neurons located within the ventral premammillary nucleus (PMV). Leptin activates PMV neurons; however, the intracellular signaling pathway and channel(s) involved remain undefined. Notably, leptin's excitatory and inhibitory effects within hypothalamic and brai...