title: Suppression of leptin receptor messenger ribonucleic acid and leptin responsiveness in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus during pregnancy in the rat.
abstract: Pregnancy in the rat is a state of leptin resistance associated with impaired leptin signal transduction in the hypothalamus. The aim of this study was to determine whether this leptin-resistant state is mediated by a change in the level of leptin receptors in the hypothalamus. Real-time RT-PCR was used to determine levels of mRNA for the various leptin receptor isoforms in a number of microdissected hypothalamic nuclei and the choroid plexus. To investigate the functional activation of the leptin receptor, immunohistochemistry for phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3) was examined in the arcuate nucleus and the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) of fasted diestrous and d-14 pregnant rats after an intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of either leptin (4 mug) or vehicle. A significant reduction of Ob-Rb mRNA levels was observed in the VMH during pregnancy compared with the nonpregnant controls. Furthermore, in pregnant rats the number of cells positive for leptin-induced pSTAT3 in the VMH was greatly reduced during pregnancy compared with nonpregnant rats. There were no differences in the level of Ob-Rb mRNA or in the number of leptin-induced pSTAT3-positive cells in the arcuate nucleus of nonpregnant and pregnant rats. These data implicate the VMH as a key hypothalamic site involved in pregnancy-induced leptin resistance. There were also reduced levels of mRNA for Ob-Ra, a proposed leptin transporter molecule, in the choroid plexus on d 7 and 21 of pregnancy. Hence, diminished transport of leptin into the brain may also contribute to pregnancy-induced leptin resistance.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Ladyman
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Grattan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001111:Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology; D002831:Choroid Plexus / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014697:Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D020738:Leptin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494088:Stat3 protein, rat; D015534:Trans-Activators