Abstract
The adipocytokine leptin centrally regulates body weight by enhancing metabolic rate and signaling satiety, but it also has wide-ranging peripheral effects. Leptin receptors are expressed on vascular smooth muscle cells and have a role in maintaining vascular tone. We investigated the vascular effects of leptin repletion or calorie restriction on leptin-deficient mice (ob/ob) and a leptin antagonist on wild-type (WT) mice. Aortic compliance was assessed by the measurement of pulse wave velocity by noninvasive Doppler; blood pressure was measured by left ventricular catheterization. We found that ob/ob mice have much stiffer aortas than WT mice and that reduction in aortic stiffness was greater in ob/ob mice treated with leptin vs calorie restriction, despite similar weight loss. Interestingly, treating WT mice with a leptin antagonist increases aortic stiffness with no change in weight. Thus, we conclude that leptin is essential for maintaining normal aortic compliance independent of body weight.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by NIH/NHLBI R01-HL077785 (to CPO), R01-AG021523 (to DEB) and K08-HL076220 (to LAB), and the WW Smith Charitable Trust (to LAB).
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Sikka, G., Yang, R., Reid, S. et al. Leptin is essential in maintaining normal vascular compliance independent of body weight. Int J Obes 34, 203–206 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.208
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.208
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