title: Leptin does not reduce body fat content but augments cold defense abilities in thermoneutrally reared rat pups.
abstract: A previous study showed that recombinant leptin markedly affects the body fat content and thermoregulatory energy expenditure of lean (+/+ and +/fa) suckling-age rats, and we wanted to find out whether leptin in doses that halved body fat of cold-reared lean pups had any effect in thermoneutrally reared lean pups. When +/+ pups were artificially reared from 4 to 16 days of age at thermoneutrality and treated as before with leptin from day 7, their total metabolic rate throughout the treatment period was only 4% higher than that of the control littermates and their final body fat content only 4% lower (both P>0.05). We conclude from comparisons of the results in +/+ pups at cold and thermoneutral conditions that leptin does not stimulate, but rather disinhibits, sympathetically mediated thermoregulatory thermogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für physiologische und klinische Forschung, W.G. Kerckhoff-Institut, Parkstrasse 1, D-61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stehling
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Döring
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nuesslein-Hildesheim
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olbort
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects*; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects*; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D020738:Leptin; D011506:Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D011506:Proteins