Original Article
International Journal of Obesity (2008) 32, 936–942; doi:10.1038/ijo.2008.13; published online 19 February 2008
Effects of leptin on energy metabolism in 
-less mice
C S Asensio1,2, D Arsenijevic2, L Lehr3, J-P Giacobino3, P Muzzin1 and F Rohner-Jeanrenaud2
- 1Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Medical University Centre, Geneva, Switzerland
- 2Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University Centre, Geneva, Switzerland
- 3Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University Centre, Geneva, Switzerland
Correspondence: Dr CS Asensio, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, Genentech Hall, N274, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. E-mail: Cedric.Asensio@ucsf.edu
Received 22 July 2007; Revised 7 January 2008; Accepted 15 January 2008; Published online 19 February 2008.
Abstract
Objective:
To investigate the impact of 
-adrenoceptor deficiency on the metabolic effects of leptin.
Measurements:
Leptin was infused subcutaneously through an osmotic minipump in wild-type (WT) and 1/2/3-adrenoceptor knockout (-less) mice and its effects on food intake, energy expenditure, carbohydrate and lipid utilization as well as on the levels of expression of the brown adipose tissue (BAT), thermogenic marker uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) and type II deiodinase (D2) mRNAs were compared.
Results:
Leptin treatment decreased food intake by 23%
in both the WT and the -less mice. In pair-fed animals being used as controls, leptin treatment was found to increase energy expenditure in WT, but not in -less mice. No difference was observed in carbohydrate or fat utilization between leptin-treated WT and -less mice. Leptin increased UCP1 and D2 mRNA levels in WT mouse BAT 1.7- and 3-fold, respectively, but had no effect on the expression of these genes in -less mouse BAT.
Conclusion:
The stimulatory effects of leptin on oxygen consumption, BAT UCP1 and D2 expression require functional -adrenoceptors, but its inhibitory effect on food intake and its stimulatory effect on fat utilization is independent of the -adrenoceptor signalling.
Keywords:
leptin, -adrenoceptor knockout mice, energy expenditure, brown adipose tissue, thermogenic markers
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