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Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Assessment of Perigenital Sensitivity and Prostatic Mast Cell Activation in a Mouse Model of Neonatal Maternal Separation
Published on: August 13, 2015
Leptin stimulates tissue rat mast cell pro-inflammatory activity and migratory response
Paulina Żelechowska1, Justyna Agier1, Sylwia Różalska2
1Department of Experimental Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine whether leptin, a member of the adipocytokines involved in immune and inflammatory response regulation, may influence some aspects of mast cell biology.
Materials And Methods:
Experiments were done in vitro on fully mature tissue rat mast cells isolated from the peritoneal cavity, and leptin was used at concentrations 0.001-100 ng/ml. The effect of leptin on mast cell degranulation (histamine release assay), intracellular Ca2+ level (fluorimetry), pro-inflammatory mediator release (ELISA technique), surface receptor expression (flow cytometry and confocal microscopy), and migration (Boyden microchamber assay) was estimated.
Results:
Leptin was found to stimulate mast cells to degranulation and histamine release. It induced the intracellular Ca2+ increase, as well. In response to leptin stimulation, mast cells generated and released cysLTs and chemokine CCL3. Leptin-induced upregulation of CYSLTR1 and CYSLTR2 surface expression was observed. Moreover, this adipocytokine stimulated mast cells to migratory response, even in the absence of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins.
Conclusions:
Our observations clearly documented that leptin promotes the pro-inflammatory activity of mast cells, and it thereby engages these cells in the inflammatory processes.
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