The effect of leptin on adrenal glands in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes: an experimental study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the cross-section area of adrenal medulla and the percentage of Ki-67 (a proliferation marker) of the adrenal gland in diabetic rats after leptin injection.


METHODS
Twenty-nine male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control (C) group (n = 9), diabetes mellitus (DM) group (n = 10) and leptin-injected diabetes mellitus (DM+L) group (n = 10). Experimental DM was induced by a single intraperitoneal dose of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg). After this, leptin (100 microg/kg) was injected subcutaneously for a period of 2 weeks in the diabetic group.


RESULTS
An atrophy of adrenal medulla in the DM group was observed, and this atrophy returned to normal morphology after injection of leptin. In addition, an increase in the Ki-67 percentage was demonstrated in the zona reticularis layers in the DM+L group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study indicated that leptin stimulates the sympathoadrenal system and the androgen producing adrenal cortex in DM rats.
Ergin
Kemal
K
Department of Embryology and Histology, Adnan Menderes University School of Medicine, Aydin, Turkey. kemalergin@hotmail.com
Aktuğ
Hüseyin
H
Başloğlu
Hulki
H
Başaloğlu
Hatice Kübra
HK
Yilmaz
Mahmut Ilker
MI
Turgut
Mehmet
M
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000473:pathology*; D020738:Leptin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D020738:Leptin