title: Effects of chronic leptin infusion on subsequent body weight and composition in mice: Can body weight set point be reset?
abstract: Circulating leptin concentrations correlate with fat mass and signal the status of somatic energy stores to the brain. Previous studies suggest that diet-induced elevations of body weight increase body weight "set-point". To assess whether chronic hyperleptinemia is responsible for this shift in defended body weight, we elevated circulating leptin concentrations in lean mice to those comparable to diet-induced obese mice for eighteen weeks. We hypothesized that following cessation of leptin infusion, a higher body weight would be defended. Compared to saline-infused controls, leptin-infused mice had elevated circulating leptin concentrations, gained less weight, yet had similar metabolic rates. Following cessation of leptin administration, leptin-infused mice gained some weight yet plateaued at 5-10% below controls. These results suggest that, unlike mice rendered hyperleptinemic by diet-induced weight gain, leptin-infused mice do not subsequently "defend" a higher body weight, suggesting that hyperleptinemia per se does not mimic the CNS consequences of chronic weight gain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Molecular Genetics, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ravussin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Molecular Genetics, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: LeDuc
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Molecular Genetics, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Molecular Genetics, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Molecular Genetics, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skowronski
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Molecular Genetics, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenbaum
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Molecular Genetics, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Leibel
keywords: Body weight “set-point”; Leptin; Leptin resistance; Obesity