The Postnatal Leptin Surge Supports Immune Cell Function in Rats
Caroline Hunsche1,2, Oskarina Hernandez1, Virginia Mela1
1Department of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology). Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Background:
Leptin plays an important role in the regulation of the immune response. There is a physiological surge of leptin in rodents during the neonatal period, which has mainly been studied in the context of brain development. However, little is known about the effects of this neonatal leptin surge on immunity. Therefore, we investigated whether blocking this leptin surge could affect several immune functions.
Methods:
Male and female rats were injected subcutaneously with 5 mg/Kg/day of rat pegylated super leptin antagonist during the neonatal period (PND5-9). On the peripubertal period, relevant functions as well as cytokine release by spleen leukocytes were studied in these animals.
Results:
The results showed that the animals significantly display an impaired anti-tumor NK activity and chemotactic and proliferation capacity of lymphocytes in response to mitogens. In addition, several cytokine concentrations, released under mitogen-stimulated conditions, were also altered.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the neonatal leptin surge seems to be involved in the establishment of an adequate immune response and cytokine profile, which are crucial for the maintenance of a healthy life.
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