title: The effect of leptin on adrenal glands in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes: an experimental study.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Embryology and Histology, Adnan Menderes University School of Medicine, Aydin, Turkey. kemalergin@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ergin
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aktuğ
authors.forename: Hulki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Başloğlu
authors.forename: Hatice Kübra
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Başaloğlu
authors.forename: Mahmut Ilker
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turgut
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin