Effect of leptin on energy balance does not require the presence of intact adrenals

Abstract

The present study was conducted to assess the effects of leptin on food intake and energy balance in the presence or absence of corticosterone. Three cohorts of C57BL/6 mice differing in their corticosterone status [nonadrenalectomized (intact), adrenalectomized (ADX), and ADX with corticosterone replacement] were infused with either saline or leptin at a dose of 150 μg ⋅ kg−1 ⋅ day−1. Throughout the study, mice had free access to both a high-starch and a high-fat diet. At the end of the experimental period, mice were decapitated and their carcasses were processed for the determination of energy, protein, and lipid contents. Leptin significantly reduced body gains in weight, fat, and energy, whereas corticosterone therapy significantly promoted all of these gains. Leptin and ADX significantly reduced food intake and gross energetic efficiency, whereas corticosterone therapy significantly increased these variables. The effects of leptin, ADX, and corticosterone on food intake were accounted for by changes in the intake of the high-fat diet. Leptin also attenuated the preference for fat that developed quickly in mice simultaneously exposed to the high-starch and high-fat regimen. Altogether, the results of this study 1) emphasize the abilities of leptin and corticosterone to, respectively, decrease and increase energy deposition and ingestion of fat, 2) do not substantiate any leptin-corticosterone interaction in the regulation of energy balance, and 3) demonstrate that leptin can produce its effect on energy and fat gains in the absence of an intact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

A brain-sparing diphtheria toxin for chemical genetic ablation of peripheral cell lineages

“…Instead, increased weight plateaued upon HFD withdrawal. Whereas we cannot exclude a role of the adrenals in the phenotype we see, leptin action does not depend on intact adrenal glands29. Thus, the persistence of adiposity in regionally sympathectomized mice, as well as the defective responses to leptin, is consistent with the known role of sympathetic neuro-adipose junctions in driving lipolysis and fat mass reduction5.…”

Appetite after weight loss by energy restriction and a low-fat diet–exercise follow-up

“…Convincing demonstrations of the effects of glucocorticoids on food intake in animals have, however, been reported. 34,35 Whether or not these results can be transposed to humans remains unclear, but our results seem to support observations from the animal literature. It is however unclear as to why cortisol comes Weight loss and appetite E Doucet et al out as such a strong predictor of changes of VAS variables.…”

The Effect of Adrenalectomy on Leptin Levels and Some Metabolic Parameters in Rats with Diet-Induced Obesity.

“…At the end of 10th week of the high-calorie diet, rats had significantly increased body weights, eventually being 20% heavier than control rats (pϽ0.001), which was in agreement with previous reports that showed that feeding the high-calorie diet developed obesity in several rodent models. [9][10][11] Feeding with diet which has high lipid proportion has developed obesity and adipose tissue mass increase. Therefore, leptin levels also have shown elevations.…”