We recently reported that the leptin-induced increase in uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) mRNA in brown adipose tissue (BAT) is prevented by the denervation of BAT. We also reported that retinoic acid (RA) increases UCP1 mRNA in BAT. To extend these finding to UCP2 and UCP3 in BAT, we examined UCP2 and UCP3 mRNA after unilateral denervation of BAT, as well as after leptin, beta(3)-adrenergic agonist...

In obesity, due to the resistance of leptin receptors at the blood brain barrier, increased peripheral leptin levels cannot act appropriately at brain sites relevant for appetite regulation. In this study, we focused on the intranasal application of leptin. This mode of administration provides a promising tool for a direct access of peptides to the brain by circumventing the blood brain barrier...

Leptin mediates neuroendocrine responses to fasting and restores the starvation-induced changes of several hypothalamic neuropeptides. Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), a cytokine closely related to leptin, reduces food intake and reverses obesity, but its role in restoring the starvation-induced changes of hormones or hypothalamic neuropeptides remains largely unknown. To comparatively asses...

To investigate the underlying mechanisms for leptin receptor (LEPR)-mediated regulation of leptin gene (Lep) expression in brown (BAT) and white (WAT) adipose tissue and resultant effects on plasma leptin concentrations (plasma-LEP), we examined effects of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, caloric balance, and body fat content on leptin mRNA levels in BAT and WAT in 10-day-old rat pups...

We have studied mechanisms by which leptin overexpression, which reduces body weight via anorexic and thermogenic actions, induces triglyceride depletion in adipocytes and nonadipocytes. Here we show that leptin alters in pancreatic islets the mRNA of the genes encoding enzymes of free fatty acid metabolism and uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2). In animals infused with a recombinant adenovirus conta...

Interleukins (IL) are key mediators of the host response to infection and inflammation. Leptin is secreted by adipose tissue and plays an important role in the control of food intake. Administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), or IL-1 acutely increases leptin mRNA and protein levels. To investigate the role of IL-1β and IL-6 in leptin expression during inflammation...

The complex neuronal and hormonal interaction between the brain gonads controls neuroendocrine reproductive axis. GnRH, GnIH, kisspeptin are important neuropeptides in this relationship. Although seasonal variations of these have been demonstrated photoperiodic animals, there is no clear evidence their daily rhythms. Melatonin leptin hormones also two regulation. In our study, relationship mela...

The reductions in circulating levels of leptin, insulin, and glucose with fasting serve as important homeostasis signals to neurons of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus that synthesize neuropeptide Y (NPY)/agouti-related protein (AGRP) and alpha-MSH/cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript. Because the central administration of leptin is capable of preventing the inhibitory effects of fastin...

Histamine neurons are widely distributed in the brain and suppress food intake through the histamine H1 receptor (H1-R) in the hypothalamus. To examine the role of neuronal histamine in leptin signaling pathways, we investigated the effects of H1-R knockout (H1KO) mice on both food intake and mRNA expressions of uncoupling proteins (UCPs) as regulated by leptin, and concomitantly on basal chang...

Leptin, the product of the ob gene, is involved in the control of ovarian functions. Leptin transcripts and OB proteins were localized in the porcine corpus luteum, but the regulatory mechanism of leptin mRNA expression and leptin secretion in porcine luteal cells remains unexplained. The aim of the present study was to: 1) determine level of leptin and long form of leptin receptor (OB-Rb) tran...