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Leptin affects pancreatic endocrine functions through the sympathetic nervous system
A Mizuno1, T Murakami, S Otani
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, the University of Tokushima, Japan.
Endocrinology
|September 2, 1998
Summary
Leptin
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Leptin is a hormone that regulates energy balance.
- Its effects on pancreatic hormone secretion are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of leptin in regulating insulin and glucagon secretion.
- To explore the involvement of the sympathetic nervous system in leptin's effects.
Main Methods:
- Experiments were conducted on vagotomized, sympathectomized, and intact rats.
- Studies included intravenous glucose and hypoglycemia challenges.
- Perfused rat pancreas and brown adipose tissue gene expression were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Leptin suppressed insulin secretion in vagotomized rats but not in intact or sympathectomized rats.
- Leptin augmented glucagon secretion in intact rats but not in sympathectomized rats.
- Leptin increased uncoupling protein-1 mRNA expression in brown adipose tissue of intact rats, an effect absent in sympathectomized rats.
Conclusions:
- Leptin may indirectly influence pancreatic endocrine function.
- These effects appear to be mediated through the sympathetic nervous system.