Identification of Allelic Polymorphism in the Ovine Leptin Gene

Leptin is an adipocyte-derived hormone/cytokine that influences the physiological control of numerous biological functions and links nutritional status with both neuroendocrine and immune functions. In livestock, variation in the leptin (LEP) gene has been characterized in cattle and pig, but it has not been reported in sheep. In this study, variation in the exon 3 coding sequence of the ovine LEP gene was investigated by polymerase chain reaction–single-strand conformational polymorphism (PCR–SSCP) analysis and DNA sequencing. Five novel SSCP patterns, representing five different sequences, were identified under a combination of two different electrophoresis conditions. Either one or two different sequences were detected in individual sheep and all the sequences identified shared high homology with the LEP sequences from a variety of species, suggesting that these sequences represent alleles of the ovine LEP gene. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected, and three of these resulted in amino acid changes. Variation detected here might have an impact on leptin activity and function.     

骨质疏松对牙周组织瘦素受体表达的影响

骨质疏松对牙周炎的发生及防治有一定影响,但其具体作用机制尚不清楚。将SD大鼠卵巢切除构建骨质疏松模型(卵巢切除组,OVX),以假手术组(Sham)做对照,取下颌骨石蜡切片进行免疫组化法染色,通过显微镜定性观察及Image-Pro Plus(IPP)软件半定量测量分析两组大鼠牙周组织中瘦素受体(leptin receptor,OBR)的表达情况,探究骨质疏松状态对大鼠牙周组织中OB-R表达的影响。研究发现,OB-R在OVX和Sham大鼠牙周组织中均广泛表达,其中在结合上皮、牙周膜处表达较为明显,牙槽骨、牙龈结缔组织处表达较弱,并且OVX大鼠在牙龈、牙槽骨、牙周膜中OB-R表达均较Sham组显著增多(n=10,P0.05)。结果表明OB-R在骨质疏松牙周组织中表达上调,可能与骨质疏松后机体代偿性增加OB-R表达有关。     

西藏小型猪Leptin及其受体胞外区片段的克隆及原核表达

目的克隆及原核表达西藏小型猪瘦素（Leptin）成熟肽及瘦素受体胞外区片段。方法根据西藏小型猪瘦素序列（GenBank号：GQ240885.1）和猪瘦素受体基因胞外域序列（GenBank号：AF167719.1）分别设计并合成两对引物扩增瘦素、瘦素受体基因胞外域编码区1654-2319位片段,以西藏小型猪组织总RNA为模板,经反转录-聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）方法获得了特异性片段。再以该两个特异性片段为模板,另外设计两对带有BanHⅠ和HidⅢ酶切位点的套式引物分别扩增瘦素64-504位（成熟肽编码区）和瘦素受体基因胞外域编码区1655-2314位的cDNA片段,将该两片段克隆入pMD18-T载体并转化感受态细菌E.coli DH5α测序并永久保存。此两片段经酶切后克隆到表达载体pRSET A的BamHⅠ和HindⅢ两酶切位点之间,构建重组质粒pR-OB和pR-OBR-a并在大肠杆菌E.coli BL21（DE3）中表达,SDS-PAGE电泳鉴定表达产物。结果在IPTG诱导下促使重组菌pR-OB表达了相对分子质量约18×103左右的融合蛋白;重组菌pR-OBR-a表达了相对分子质量约27×103左右的融合蛋白。结论说明重组质粒pR-OB、pR-OBR-a在大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）中分别可表达西藏小型猪瘦素成熟肽、瘦素受体片段蛋白,为进一步研究瘦素、瘦素受体功能和应用提供了基础。     

Expression and Biological Significance of Leptin,Leptin Receptor,VEGF, and CD34 in Colorectal Carcinoma

To investigate the expression and biological significance of Leptin, Leptin receptor, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), and CD34 protein in colorectal carcinoma tissues. The expression of Leptin, Leptin receptor, VEGF, and CD34 was detected in 68 cases of colorectal carcinoma tissues, paired para-carcinoma tissues and normal colorectal tissues by Immunohistochemical SP Method. The results and related clinicopathological data were analyzed. The positive rate of Leptin, Leptin receptor, and VEGF was significantly higher in colorectal carcinoma tissues than that in paired para-carcinoma tissues and normal colorectal tissues. The expression of Leptin, Leptin receptor, and VEGF was correlated with grade of tumor differentiation, depth of bowel wall invasion, lymph node metastasis, Dukes stage, distant metastasis, and lympho/vascular tumor embolization. Microvessel density (MVD) value in colorectal carcinoma was significantly higher than that in para-carcinoma tissues and normal colorectal tissues, and the density in para-carcinoma tissues was higher than that in normal colorectal tissues. The expression of Leptin, Leptin receptor, VEGF, and MVD value in colorectal carcinoma was positively correlated. In conclusion, microvessel density value is an important index of the growth, invasion, and metastasis of colorectal carcinoma. The binding of Leptin and Leptin receptor promotes the proliferation of colorectal carcinoma cells. The synergy between Leptin and VEGF accelerates the angiogenesis in colorectal carcinoma and accelerates the invasion and metastasis of the tumor cells.     

Weight Loss Increases Soluble Leptin Receptor Levels and the Soluble Receptor Bound Fraction of Leptin

Objective: Soluble leptin receptor (sOB‐R) represents the main binding site for leptin in human blood. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between leptin and soluble leptin receptor and the bound/free ratio after pronounced weight reduction. Research Methods and Procedures: A total of 18 morbidly obese women participated in this prospective study. Subjects were examined for fat mass, leptin, and sOB‐R concentrations before and 1 year after Swedish adjustable gastric banding. Results: Anthropomorphic measures displayed a significant reduction of body mass index [(42.9 ± 5.6 to 32.9 ± 6.0 kg/m² (mean ± SD)]. Fat mass decreased from 56.3 ± 9.0 to 33.9 ± 12.5 kg. Plasma leptin concentration decreased from 44.6 ± 18.0 to 20.0 ± 13.1 ng/mL (p < 0.001), whereas the sOB‐R levels increased from 11.1 ± 3.6 to 16.6 ± 6.0 U/mL after weight‐reducing surgery. Thus, the sOB‐R bound fraction of leptin increased from 7% to 33%. Discussion: This work demonstrates a relationship between weight loss, leptin, and sOB‐R concentrations in vivo. During weight loss, leptin levels decreased, whereas sOB‐R levels and the receptor bound fraction of leptin increased. Thus, sOB‐R may negatively regulate free leptin.     

Impaired Clearance of Influenza A Virus in Obese,Leptin Receptor Deficient Mice Is Independent of Leptin Signaling in the Lung Epithelium and Macrophages

Rationale

During the recent H1N1 outbreak, obese patients had worsened lung injury and increased mortality. We used a murine model of influenza A pneumonia to test the hypothesis that leptin receptor deficiency might explain the enhanced mortality in obese patients.

Methods

We infected wild-type, obese mice globally deficient in the leptin receptor (db/db) and non-obese mice with tissue specific deletion of the leptin receptor in the lung epithelium (SPC-Cre/LepR^fl/fl) or macrophages and alveolar type II cells (LysM-Cre/Lepr^fl/fl) with influenza A virus (A/WSN/33 [H1N1]) (500 and 1500 pfu/mouse) and measured mortality, viral clearance and several markers of lung injury severity.

Results

The clearance of influenza A virus from the lungs of mice was impaired in obese mice globally deficient in the leptin receptor (db/db) compared to normal weight wild-type mice. In contrast, non-obese, SP-C-Cre^+/+/LepR^fl/fl and LysM-Cre^+/+/LepR^fl/fl had improved viral clearance after influenza A infection. In obese mice, mortality was increased compared with wild-type mice, while the SP-C-Cre^+/+/LepR^fl/fl and LysM-Cre^+/+/LepR^{fl /fl} mice exhibited improved survival.

Conclusions

Global loss of the leptin receptor results in reduced viral clearance and worse outcomes following influenza A infection. These findings are not the result of the loss of leptin signaling in lung epithelial cells or macrophages. Our results suggest that factors associated with obesity or with leptin signaling in non-myeloid populations such as natural killer and T cells may be associated with worsened outcomes following influenza A infection.     

Cross-Talk of the Glutamate and Leptin Receptor Pathways

Molecular Biology - The hormone leptin is produced in adipocytes of white adipose tissue and crosses the blood–brain barrier. Leptin receptors are present in the brain regions that are...     

Kinetics of Leptin Binding to the Q223R Leptin Receptor

Studies in human populations and mouse models of disease have linked the common leptin receptor Q223R mutation to obesity, multiple forms of cancer, adverse drug reactions, and susceptibility to enteric and respiratory infections. Contradictory results cast doubt on the phenotypic consequences of this variant. We set out to determine whether the Q223R substitution affects leptin binding kinetics using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), a technique that allows sensitive real-time monitoring of protein-protein interactions. We measured the binding and dissociation rate constants for leptin to the extracellular domain of WT and Q223R murine leptin receptors expressed as Fc-fusion proteins and found that the mutant receptor does not significantly differ in kinetics of leptin binding from the WT leptin receptor. (WT: k_a 1.76×10⁶±0.193×10⁶ M⁻¹ s⁻¹, k_d 1.21×10⁻⁴±0.707×10⁻⁴ s⁻¹, K_D 6.47×10⁻¹¹±3.30×10⁻¹¹ M; Q223R: k_a 1.75×10⁶±0.0245×10⁶ M⁻¹ s⁻¹, k_d 1.47×10⁻⁴±0.0505×10⁻⁴ s⁻¹, K_D 8.43×10⁻¹¹±0.407×10⁻¹¹ M). Our results support earlier findings that differences in affinity and kinetics of leptin binding are unlikely to explain mechanistically the phenotypes that have been linked to this common genetic variant. Future studies will seek to elucidate the mechanism by which this mutation influences susceptibility to metabolic, infectious, and malignant pathologies.     

Glucocorticoid Effects on the Programming of AT1b Angiotensin Receptor Gene Methylation and Expression in the Rat

Adverse events in pregnancy may ‘programme’ offspring for the later development of cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Previously, using a rodent model of programmed hypertension we have demonstrated the role of the renin-angiotensin system in this process. More recently we showed that a maternal low protein diet resulted in undermethylation of the At1b angiotensin receptor promoter and the early overexpression of this gene in the adrenal of offspring. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that maternal glucocorticoid modulates this effect on fetal DNA methylation and gene expression. We investigated whether treatment of rat dams with the 11β-hydroxylase inhibitor metyrapone, could prevent the epigenetic and gene expression changes we observed. Offspring of mothers subjected to a low protein diet in pregnancy showed reduced adrenal Agtr1b methylation and increased adrenal gene expression as we observed previously. Treatment of mothers with metyrapone for the first 14 days of pregnancy reversed these changes and prevented the appearance of hypertension in the offspring at 4 weeks of age. As a control for non-specific effects of programmed hypertension we studied offspring of mothers treated with dexamethasone from day 15 of pregnancy and showed that, whilst they had raised blood pressure, they failed to show any evidence of Agtr1b methylation or increase in gene expression. We conclude that maternal glucocorticoid in early pregnancy may induce changes in methylation and expression of the Agtr1b gene as these are clearly reversed by an 11 beta-hydroxylase inhibitor. However in later pregnancy a converse effect with dexamethasone could not be demonstrated and this may reflect either an alternative mechanism of this glucocorticoid or a stage-specific influence.     

Glucocorticoid Modulates Angiotensin II Receptor Expression Patterns and Protects the Heart from Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury

Glucocorticoid regulates angiotensin II receptor (ATR) expression via activating glucocorticoid receptors and binding to glucocorticoid response elements. The regulation of ATR by glucocorticoids in the context of myocardial injury from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is yet to be elucidated. The present study determined the role of ATR in glucocorticoid-induced cardiac protection. Adult male rats were administered once a day i.p. 1 mg/kg/day dexamethasone or dexamethasone plus 10 mg/kg/day RU486 for 5 days. Hearts were then isolated and subjected to I/R injury in a Langendorff preparation. Dexamethasone treatment significantly decreased I/R injury and improved post-ischemic recovery of cardiac function. Dexamethasone increased glucocorticoid receptor binding to glucocorticoid response elements at AT_1aR and AT₂R promoters, resulting in a significant increase in expression of AT₁R protein but a decrease in AT₂R expression in the heart. In addition, dexamethasone treatment significantly increased PKCε expression and p-PKCε protein abundance. These dexamethasone-mediated effects were blocked by RU486. More importantly, blockade of AT₁R and AT₂R with losartan and PD123319 abrogated dexamethasone-induced protection of the heart from I/R injury. The results indicate that glucocorticoid promotes a cardioprotective phenotype associated with the upregulation of AT₁R and PKCε and downregulation of AT₂R in the heart.