BACKGROUND The presence of the adipokines adiponectin and leptin in cord blood and placental and fetal tissues suggests a possible role in fetal development. METHODS We measured concentrations of adiponectin and leptin in maternal serum, cord blood, and breast milk and examined their correlations within a large, population-based study. Between November 2000 and November 2001, we recruited all...

Plasma leptin and ob gene mRNA levels were increased in mice following bacterial peritonitis, and blocking an endogenous tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) response blunted the increase. However, plasma leptin concentrations did not correlate with the associated anorexia. We conclude that leptin expression is under partial regulatory control of TNF-alpha in peritonitis, but the anorexia is...

Leptin suppresses food intake and increases energy expenditure in the hypothalamus. Rats consume most of their daily food intake during the dark phase of the diurnal cycle. Lactating rats have increased food intake, but the involvement of leptin in the regulation of food intake in this physiological condition is not well understood. The present experiment was carried out to determine the circad...

Regulation of the gene expressions of leptin, insulin receptors and lipogenic enzymes was investigated after refeeding a fat-free diet or a 10 g/100 g corn oil diet to food-deprived rats. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations began to increase 30 min after the feeding and further increased up until 8 h. In these rats, the expression of leptin mRNA in adipose tissue began to increase signifi...

Obesity has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of both colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps. One mechanism underlying this relationship may involve the growth-promoting effects of the circulating hormones associated with obesity, such as leptin. We conducted a gastroenterology clinic-based, case-control study to evaluate the relationship between circulating leptin concentrat...

Objective. To evaluate leptin and adiponectin as biomarkers of metabolic syndrome (MS) risk factors even in nonobese children/adolescents. Methods. Serum leptin, adiponectin, leptin:adiponectin ratio, lipids, glucose, and insulin concentrations as well as body size parameters and pubertal development were evaluated in a large population of Chinese children/adolescents (n = 3505, 6-18 years, 172...

In the adult, circulating leptin is highly correlated to adipose tissue mass. Whether such a relationship exists prenatally is unknown, because the actual source of fetal leptin has not been determined. In the present study, we have assessed the placental contribution to fetal and maternal circulating leptin concentrations and determined whether fetal adipose tissue produces leptin. The rate of...

This study was performed to test the hypothesis that the kidneys play a primary role in the clearance of endogenous leptin from the circulation. Lean male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and subjected to various surgical manipulations of the kidneys. Sixty minutes after surgery arterial blood samples were taken at 1-h intervals for up to 8 h. Plasma leptin levels were determined by radioi...