Fat diet affects leptin receptor levels in the rat cerebellum

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 85 - 87
• Main Authors: Koros, Christos, M.D., Ph.D, Boukouvalas, George, M.Sc, Gerozissis, Kyriaki, Ph.D, Kitraki, Efthimia, Ph.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 2009; [New York]: Elsevier Science Inc; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescence; adult animals; Analysis of Variance; animal models; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; cerebellum; Cerebellum - drug effects; Cerebellum - metabolism; Cognitive science; Diet; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Dietary Fats - pharmacology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; energy expenditure; Energy Metabolism - physiology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Females; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; gender differences; high fat diet; hormone receptors; Immunoblotting; leptin; Leptin receptor; Male; Males; metabolic syndrome; Neuroscience; nutrition-genotype interaction; Obesity - etiology; postpartum period; Proteins; puberty; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptors, Cell Surface - metabolism; Receptors, Cell Surface - physiology; Receptors, Leptin - metabolism; Receptors, Leptin - physiology; Rodents; Sex differences; Sex Factors; sexual dimorphism; Sexual Maturation - physiology; Variance analysis; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Weaning; Western blotting; Adolescence; Sex differences; Immunoblotting; Leptin receptor; Rodents; Human; Cerebellum; Rat; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Sex; Feeding; Encephalon; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Diet; Animal; Leptin; Adolescent; Fat; Immunoblotting assay; Biological receptor
• ISSN: 0899-9007; 1873-1244
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2008.06.033

Abstract Objective The role of leptin receptors (Ob-Rs) within the hypothalamus in the control of energy expenditure has well been established. However, their role and regulation in other brain areas, including the cerebellum, is largely unexplored. In the present study we examined whether Ob-R levels in the rat cerebellum are influenced by a high-fat diet and if these changes are sexually divergent during adolescence. Methods The fat diet (45% energy from fat) was applied from weaning to puberty (postnatal days [P] 22–42), from weaning to adulthood (P22–90), and from puberty to adulthood (P42–90) in female and male Wistar rats. Ob-R levels were detected by western blotting and the data from pubertal and adult rats were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance for the effects of diet and sex. Results The fat diet affected Ob-R long isoform levels in a sexually dimorphic manner. In the cerebellum of all fat-fed male groups, Ob-R levels were reduced compared with their chow-fed counterparts ( P < 0.05). In contrast, in female rat Ob-R levels were reduced only in the adult P22–90 group. Conclusion Our data show for the first time that Ob-R levels in the rat cerebellum are subject to diet-induced alterations and that these changes are sexually dimorphic.