Cited by 879Regulation of Appetite and ObesityHypothalamic control of reproductive hormonesNeuropeptides and Animal Physiology

Leptin Increases Hypothalamic Pro-opiomelanocortin mRNA Expression in the Rostral Arcuate Nucleus

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Schwartz, Michael W, Seeley, Randy J, Woods, Stephen C, Weigle, David S, Campfield, L Arthur, Burn, Paul, Baskin, Denis G·1997·Diabetes

Abstract

Melanocortins are peptides, cleaved from the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) precursor, that act in the brain to reduce food intake and are potential mediators of leptin action. In the forebrain, melanocortins are derived from POMC-containing neurons of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus. To test the hypothesis that these POMC neurons are regulated by leptin, we used in situ hybridization to determine whether reduced leptin signaling (as occurs in fasting), genetic leptin deficiency (in obese ob/ob mice), or genetic leptin resistance (in obese db/db mice) lower expression of POMC mRNA. We further hypothesized that leptin administration would raise hypothalamic POMC mRNA levels in leptin-deficient animals, but not in mice with defective leptin receptors. In wild-type mice (n = 12), fasting for 48 h lowered POMC mRNA levels in the rostral arcuate nucleus by 53%, relative to values in fed controls (n = 8; P < 0.001). Similarly, arcuate nucleus POMC mRNA levels were reduced by 46 and 70% in genetically obese ob/ob (n = 6) and db/db mice (n = 6), respectively, as compared with wild-type mice (n = 5) (P < 0.01 for both comparisons). Five daily intraperitoneal injections of recombinant murine leptin (150 μg) raised levels of POMC mRNA in the rostral arcuate nucleus of ob/ob mice (n = 8) by 73% over saline-treated ob/ob control values (n = 8; P < 0.01), but was without effect in db/db mice (n = 6). In normal rats, two injections of a low dose of leptin (3.5 μg) into the third cerebral ventricle (n = 15) during a 40-h period of fasting also increased POMC mRNA levels in the rostral arcuate nucleus to values 39% greater than those in vehicle-treated controls (n = 14; P = 0.02). We conclude that reduced central nervous system leptin signaling owing to fasting or to genetic defects in leptin or its receptor lower POMC mRNA levels in the rostral arcuate nucleus. The finding that leptin reverses this effect in ob/ob, but not db/db, mice suggests that leptin stimulates arcuate nucleus POMC gene expression via a pathway involving leptin receptors. These findings support the hypothesis that leptin signaling in the brain involves activation of the hypothalamic melanocortin system.

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  1. Seeley RJ, Thiele TE, van Dyk G, Baskin DG, Yagaloff KA, Fisher SL, Burn P, Schwartz MW: The hypothalamic melanocortin system is an important medi- ator of leptin's effect on food intake and body weight. Nature, hi press

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Authors
Schwartz, M. W., Seeley, R. J., Woods, S. C., Weigle, D. S., Campfield, L. A., Burn, P., & Baskin, D. G.
Affiliations
  • University of Washington (US)
  • Department of Metabolic Diseases, Hoffmann-LaRoche Nutley, New Jersey
Venue
Diabetes
Published
1997-12-01
Volume
46
Issue
12
Pages
2119-2123
ISSN
  • 0012-1797 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-327X
OpenAlex
W2016261339
Cited by
879
References
21
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 36 · 2012: 27
FWCI
16.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Diabetes (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • National Institutes of Health
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormones
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
Keywords
leptin, proopiomelanocortin, arcuate nucleus, hypothalamus, melanocortin peptides, leptin resistance, leptin receptor, ob/ob mice, db/db mice, fasting, food intake regulation, leptin signaling, obesity, intracerebroventricular administration, gene expression regulation, neuropeptides
MeSH terms
Animals, Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus, Drug Resistance, Fasting, Hypothalamus, Injections, Intraperitoneal, Injections, Intraventricular, Male, Pro-Opiomelanocortin, Proteins, RNA, Messenger, Gene Expression, In Situ Hybridization, Leptin, Mice, Rats

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