title: Early onset of reproductive function in normal female mice treated with leptin.
abstract: Numerous studies have revealed an association between nutritional status, adiposity, and reproductive maturity. The role of leptin, a hormone secreted from adipose tissue, in the onset of reproductive function was investigated. Normal prepubertal female mice injected with leptin grew at a slower rate than controls as a result of the hormone's thinning effects, but they reproduced up to 9 days earlier than controls and showed earlier maturation of the reproductive tract. These results suggest that leptin acts as a signal triggering puberty, thus supporting the hypothesis that fat accumulation enhances maturation of the reproductive tract.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, 505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143-0134, USA.
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Chehab
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mounzih
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004971:Estrus / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000187:drug effects*; D020738:Leptin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D011506:Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone