Pituitary leptin gene expression is reduced by neonatal androgenization of female rats

We have previously reported evidence of leptin gene expression (ob mRNA) in adult rat brain and pituitary gland. We have also shown that ob mRNA levels in female rat brain and pituitary are regulated in an age- and tissue-dependent fashion. In view of the known sexual dimorphism in adipose tissue leptin expression, we have extended our original work to include an assessment of ob mRNA levels in brain, pituitary and fat of developing male and female rats. In addition we determined the effects of neonatal androgenization of female rat pups with testosterone propionate. Leptin (ob) mRNA expression was evaluated using semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis. Leptin mRNA levels were developmentally regulated in the pituitary and cortex of male rats, paralleling the changes previously observed in female rats. In the pituitary, leptin expression was significantly higher during the early postnatal period and dropped abruptly by postnatal day (PD) 22. In the cortex, leptin expression was lowest at PD 4 and rose significantly by PD 14. In addition gender differences, most notably in the pituitary, were also observed. In pituitary gland, ob mRNA was significantly higher in female rats than in males at PD 14 (+60%; p < 0.05) but there were no sex differences at PD 4 and PD 22. Testosterone treatment of neonatal female rats profoundly reduced ob mRNA at PD 14 (3.5-fold; p < 0.01) and PD 22 (3-fold; p = 0.05). In subcutaneous adipose tissue and hypothalamus we observed no sex difference in ob mRNA levels nor an effect of testosterone. We conclude that leptin gene expression in rat pituitary gland is sexually dimorphic and sensitive to neonatal manipulation of sex steroid levels.