title: The role of leptin in striped hamsters subjected to food restriction and refeeding.
abstract: Food restriction (FR) and refeeding (Re) have been suggested to impair body mass regulation and thereby making it easier to regain the lost weight and develop over-weight when FR ends. However, it is unclear if this is the case in small mammals showing seasonal forging behaviors. In the present study, energy budget, body fat and serum leptin level were measured in striped hamsters that were exposed to FR-Re. The effects of leptin on food intake, body fat and genes expressions of several hypothalamus neuropeptides were determined. Body mass, fat content and serum leptin level decreased during FR and then increased during Re. Leptin supplement significantly attenuated the increase in food intake during Re, decreased genes expressions of neuropepetide Y (NPY) and agouti-related protein (AgRP) of hypothalamus and leptin of white adipose tissue (WAT). Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) gene expression of WAT increased in leptin-treated hamsters that were fed ad libitum, but decreased in FR-Re hamsters. This indicates that the adaptive regulation of WAT HSL gene expression may be involved in the mobilization of fat storage during Re, which partly contributes to the resistance to FR-Re-induced overweight. Leptin may be involved in the down regulations of hypothalamus orexigenic peptides gene expression and consequently plays a crucial role in controlling food intake when FR ends.
authors.affiliation: College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325027, China. zhao73@foxmail.com.
authors.forename: Zhi-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: School of Agricultural Science, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China.
authors.forename: Yong-An
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Agricultural Science, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Ya
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: School of Agricultural Science, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China.
authors.forename: Mao-Lun
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325027, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325027, China;School of Agricultural Science, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007031:Hypothalamus; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D015430:Weight Gain; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin
keywords: Body mass; Food restriction; Hypothalamus neuropeptides; Leptin; Striped hamster