Obese subjects with excess intra-abdominal fat deposition suffer greater adverse metabolic consequences than do similarly overweight subjects with a predominantly subcutaneous distribution of adiposity. Little is known about the factors regulating the regional distribution of body fat. Leptin is a recently characterized protein secreted by adipocytes that appears to provide a long-term hormonal feedback signal regulating fat mass. No systematic evaluation of site-related differences in human adipocyte leptin expression has been reported to date. Levels of leptin mRNA were examined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in adipocytes isolated from omental and subcutaneous adipose depots of nonobese and mildly obese individuals undergoing elective surgery. In all individuals studied (n = 24), leptin mRNA levels were higher in subcutaneous than in omental adipocytes (P < 0.0001). In contrast, there were no consistent site-specific differences in the expression of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA. The subcutaneous-toomental ratio of leptin mRNA expression was markedly higher in women (5.5 ± 1.1-fold) than in men (1.9 ± 0.2-fold) (P < 0.02). A significant relationship between BMI and leptin mRNA expression was demonstrable in the subcutaneous adipocytes of women (P < 0.006). Thus, leptin mRNA appears to be expressed predominantly by subcutaneous adipocytes, particularly in women. These findings suggest a possible role for leptin in the control of adipose tissue distribution and mass.
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Original Articles|
March 01 1997
Depot- and Sex-Specific Differences in Human Leptin mRNA Expression: Implications for the Control of Regional Fat Distribution
Carl T Montague;
Carl T Montague
From the Departments of Medicine and Clinical Biochemistry, University of Cambridge
Cambridge, U.K.
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Johannes B Prins;
Johannes B Prins
From the Departments of Medicine and Clinical Biochemistry, University of Cambridge
Cambridge, U.K.
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Louise Sanders;
Louise Sanders
From the Departments of Medicine and Clinical Biochemistry, University of Cambridge
Cambridge, U.K.
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Janet E Digby;
Janet E Digby
From the Departments of Medicine and Clinical Biochemistry, University of Cambridge
Cambridge, U.K.
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Stephen O'Rahilly
Stephen O'Rahilly
From the Departments of Medicine and Clinical Biochemistry, University of Cambridge
Cambridge, U.K.
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Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. J.B. Prins, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hill's Road, Cambridge CB2 2QR, U.K. jprins@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk.
1
G3PD, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; RT-PCR, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.
Diabetes 1997;46(3):342–347
Article history
Received:
July 12 1996
Revision Received:
October 22 1996
Accepted:
October 22 1996
Citation
Carl T Montague, Johannes B Prins, Louise Sanders, Janet E Digby, Stephen O'Rahilly; Depot- and Sex-Specific Differences in Human Leptin mRNA Expression: Implications for the Control of Regional Fat Distribution. Diabetes 1 March 1997; 46 (3): 342–347. https://doi.org/10.2337/diab.46.3.342
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