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Combined amylin–leptin treatment lowers blood pressure and adiposity in lean and obese rats

International Journal of Obesity volume 35, pages 1183–1192 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

To examine the cardiovascular effects of combined amylin (AMN) and leptin (LEP) treatment in lean and obese rats.

Research design:

Rats were instrumented for telemetry and given LEP (300 μg kg–1 day–1), AMN (100 μg kg–1 day–1), AMN+LEP or vehicle (VEH; 0.9% normal saline) via a subcutaneous mini-osmotic pump for 7 days. The VEH group was subdivided into ad libitum fed and pair-fed to the amount of food AMN+LEP animals ate daily. Rats were housed in metabolic chambers for analysis of cardiovascular physiology and metabolism.

Subjects:

Male Fisher 344 × Brown Norway (FBNF1; Harlan; age=3–5 months; n=72) rats were placed on standard rodent chow (LEAN, n=41) or moderately high-fat diet (OBESE; n=31) to produce obesity.

Results:

AMN+LEP potently reduced food intake (LEAN: 57% OBESE: 59%) and abdominal fat mass (LEAN: 56% OBESE: 41%). Pair-fed rats displayed bradycardia and metabolic suppression. In contrast, AMN+LEP increased heart rate and oxygen consumption above levels in LEP or AMN-treated rats. LEP reduced blood pressure in both lean and obese rats but AMN had no effect. LEP-induced reductions in blood pressure were not altered by AMN+LEP treatment. Thus, AMN+LEP treatment decreased food intake, body fat and blood pressure in lean and obese rats.

Conclusion:

We conclude that the potent anti-adiposity actions of AMN+LEP are due in part to prevention of the bradycardia and metabolic suppression typically observed with negative energy balance. Furthermore, the hypotensive actions of peripheral LEP treatment are observable in spite of the potent AMN+LEP activation of anorexic and thermogenic mechanisms in the central nervous system.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by funding support from Department of Biomedical Science, Florida State University. We thank Dr M Freeman, C Fitch-Pye, M M Messina, E Bascom, E Stern, M Gierach and D Kopa for their contributions to the completion of this study.

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  1. R Seth and W D Knight: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA

    R Seth, W D Knight & J M Overton

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Correspondence to J M Overton.

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Seth, R., Knight, W. & Overton, J. Combined amylin–leptin treatment lowers blood pressure and adiposity in lean and obese rats. Int J Obes 35, 1183–1192 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.262

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