Aim: The study was designed to investigate the immediate (1 h) effect of leptin and ghrelin injection on in vivo postprandial hepatic glycogen and lipid synthesis. Animals and Methods: Adult Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed a semisynthetic control diet ad libitum. Overnight-fasted rats were gavaged with 4 ml of water containing 1.25 g of the diet and immediately injected intraperitoneally with 4 mCi of 3H2O. After 1 h, rats were either intraperitoneally injected with saline (control), leptin (20 µg/rat) or ghrelin (10 µg/rat) and sacrificed 1 h later. Blood, liver and epididymal fat pads (EFP) were taken for analysis. Results: Plasma triglyceride level was higher in the leptin group compared to control. Leptin injection reduced hepatic glycogen synthesis while glycogen accumulation was not affected and ghrelin injection did not affect hepatic glycogen synthesis. Both hepatic and EFP lipogenesis were not affected by leptin or ghrelin. Conclusion: Leptin and ghrelin administration had no immediate effect on hepatic and adipose tissue lipogenesis. Leptin reduced in vivo postprandial hepatic glycogenesis and increased plasma triglyceride level which may be due to reduced uptake by peripheral tissues. Thus, leptin was found to exert an immediate effect on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism unlike that of ghrelin.

Keywords:
Liver, Insulin, Glucose, Triglyceride, Metabolism
This content is only available via PDF.
© 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel
2007
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.