title: Leptin administration affects growth and skeletal development in a rat intrauterine growth restriction model: preliminary study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Skeletal abnormalities are one of the hallmarks of growth delay during gestation. The aim of this study was to determine changes induced by leptin in skeletal growth and development in a rat model of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and to elucidate the possible underlying mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intrauterine growth retardation was induced prepartum and the effects of leptin to mothers prenatally or to offspring postnatally were studied. Radii were harvested and tested mechanically and structurally. Tibias were evaluated for growth-plate morphometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On day 40 postpartum, total bone length and mineral density and tibial growth-plate width and numbers of cells within its zones of offspring treated with leptin were significantly greater than in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postnatal leptin administration in an IUGR model improves the structural properties and elongation rate of bone. These findings could pave the way to preventing some phenotypic presentations of IUGR.
authors.affiliation: School of Nutritional Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Shimrit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bar-El Dadon
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shahar
authors.forename: Vered
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Katalan
authors.forename: Efrat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Monsonego-Ornan
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reifen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006132:Growth Plate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology; D020738:Leptin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011884:Radius / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012863:Skeleton; D013977:Tibia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin