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Related Experiment Videos

Interactions between leptin and the human sympathetic nervous system.

Nina Eikelis1, Markus Schlaich, Anuradha Aggarwal

  • 1Baker Heart Research Institute and Alfred Baker Medical Unit, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.

Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)
|April 2, 2003
PubMed
Summary

This study investigated the interaction between leptin and the sympathetic nervous system in humans. Results suggest leptin may stimulate sympathetic activity, but evidence for sympathetic inhibition of leptin release was not found.

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Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Neuroscience
  • Cardiovascular Physiology

Background:

  • Animal studies suggest a bidirectional relationship between leptin and the sympathetic nervous system.
  • Leptin is hypothesized to activate the sympathetic nervous system, which in turn may inhibit leptin release.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the hypothesis of a 2-way interaction between leptin and the sympathetic nervous system in humans.
  • To investigate sympathetic stimulation of leptin release and sympathetic inhibition of leptin release.

Main Methods:

  • Correlated renal norepinephrine spillover with plasma leptin levels in men with varying adiposity.
  • Studied clinical models with high sympathetic tone (heart failure, hypertension) and low sympathetic activity (autonomic failure).
  • Assessed plasma leptin levels and renal clearance in healthy aging individuals.

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Main Results:

  • Plasma leptin positively correlated with renal norepinephrine spillover, suggesting sympathetic stimulation of leptin release.
  • Plasma leptin levels were not lowered in conditions of high sympathetic tone (heart failure, hypertension).
  • Leptin levels were normal in autonomic failure and healthy aging; however, leptin concentration was elevated in heart failure due to reduced renal clearance.

Conclusions:

  • Findings provide partial support for leptin stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, particularly renal sympathetic outflow.
  • The study did not confirm the concept of regulatory feedback inhibition of leptin release by the sympathetic nervous system.
  • Reduced renal clearance of leptin contributes to elevated leptin levels in heart failure.