title: Dose-related steady states of fat loss in long-term leptin-treated ob/ob mice: leptin resistance or desensitization versus counterregulatory signaling.
abstract: We tried to unravel why leptin's fat store depleting action levels off in the course of long-term applications. Supplying leptin by minipump infusion for 2 months to ob/ob mice at rates between 115 pmol day(-1) and 460 pmol day(-1) resulted in stable plasma leptin levels between 0.2 ng ml(-1) and 8 ng ml(-1). Initial treatment effects were leptin dose-dependent reductions in food intake and body mass, especially in fat content, followed by re-increases of food intake to levels only 4-18% below pre-treatment levels. Decreased body mass subsequently stabilized dose-dependently with body fat contents between 4% and 33% showing that total fat depletion was not a precondition for the progressive reduction of leptin-induced anorexia. Oxygen consumption measurements excluded contributions of enhanced energy dissipation to fat depletion. Plasma insulin concentrations declined from excessively high pre-treatment levels to steady, leptin dose-dependent levels within the normal range. Temporary anorexia in response to repeated additional 1-day leptin injections (100 pmol g(-1) day(-1)) remained unchanged throughout long-term leptin infusion. Among various alternatives considered to explain the adipostatic equilibrium attained at new, dose-dependent levels under long-term leptin treatment, interaction between the leptin signal and at least one counteracting signal increasing with fat depletion is proposed as the most plausible working hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut fuer Herz- und Lungenforschung, W.G. Kerckhoff-Institut, Parkstr.1, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eiden
authors.forename: Eckhart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D005246:Feedback; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008820:Mice, Obese; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin