background leptin and adiponectin are two hormones, which are released from adipocytes in order to control energy expenditure. both hormones are also involved in glucose homeostasis through control of insulin secretion from pancreatic islets. since pdx1, pparγ, and foxm1 play important roles in islets function, it is essential to understand how these genes are regulated in the islets of langerh...

The effect of propranolol on the electric stimulation of rat isolated diaphragm shOwed the depression of its isometric force of contraction. This depressant effect of propranolol on the rat isolated diaphragm was produced in doses much higher than the doses required for the beta adrenergic receptor blocking activity. Isoprenaline showed no effect on the rat isolated diaphragm and it did not ant...

Pancreastatin (PST) is a regulatory peptide containing 49 amino acids, first isolated from porcine pancreas. Intracellular and extracellular processing of the prohormone Chromogranin A (Chga) results various bioactive peptides of which PST has dysglycemic activity. PST regulates glucose, lipid, and protein metabolism in liver and adipose tissues. It also regulates the secretion of leptin and ex...

The binding affinities of racemic derivatives of propranolol to ƒÀ-adrenoceptors were examined by means of radioligand binding assay to determine whether racemic propranolol shows biphasic binding to ,ƒÀ-adrenoceptors in a displacement experiment. Rat brain was used and the ƒÀadrenoceptor binding assay was carried out with 3H-dihydroalprenolol as the radioligand. A higher affinity of l-proprano...

The hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis is down-regulated during starvation, and falling levels of leptin are a critical signal for this adaptation, acting to suppress preprothyrotropin-releasing hormone (prepro-TRH) mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. This study addresses the mechanism for this regulation, using primary cultures of fetal rat hypothalamic neurons...

Swallowing is under the control of premotoneurons located in the medullary solitary tract nucleus. While rats with transected mid-brain do not seek out food, they are able to ingest food present near the mouth, and acute food deprivation induces an increase in food intake. Leptin is a satiety signal that regulates feeding behavior. Since leptin receptors are found within the caudal brainstem, a...

Background and Objectives: Calorie restriction (CR) is one of the proven methods of extending lifespan and slowing aging. Leptin is a nutritionally regulated adipokine that has been proposed as a possible key signal in the adaptive responses relevant to CR. Under CR, plasma leptin levels decrease, thus it was hypothesized that leptin administration may counteract CR-induced weight loss. Therefo...

The aim of this study was to investigate the regulation of serum leptin levels by gender and gonadal steroid milieu. Thus, we measured serum leptin levels by radioimmunoassay in (a) intact male and female rats, (b) female rats at different stages of the estrous cycle and (c) ovariectomized or orchidectomized rats. Gonadectomized groups were or were not implanted with silastic capsules (10 or 30...