Leptin attenuates follicular apoptosis and accelerates the onset of puberty in immature rats

• Published in: Molecular and cellular endocrinology 2001-10, Vol.183 (1), p.179-191
• Main Authors: Almog, B, Gold, R, Tajima, K, Dantes, A, Salim, K, Rubinstein, M, Barkan, D, Homburg, R, Lessing, J.B, Nevo, N, Gertler, A, Amsterdam, A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adrenodoxin - genetics; Adrenodoxin - metabolism; Animals; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; bcl-2-Associated X Protein; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone - blood; In Situ Nick-End Labeling; Leptin; Leptin - pharmacology; Luteinizing Hormone - blood; Male; Organ Size; Ovarian Follicle - physiology; Ovary - drug effects; Ovary - physiology; Ovulation; Ovulation - physiology; Phosphoproteins - metabolism; Progesterone - blood; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - metabolism; Puberty; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Sexual Maturation - drug effects; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - genetics; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - metabolism
• ISSN: 0303-7207; 1872-8057
• DOI: 10.1016/S0303-7207(01)00543-3

Human and rat granulosa cells express receptors to leptin which synergies with glucocorticoid hormones in stimulation of ovarian steroidogenesis. To examine whether leptin affects follicular development and maturation, we injected recombinant ovine leptin (300 ng-10 μg/animal) daily to immature 21 day-old female rats. Non-treated rats reached puberty at 44.5±1.6 ( n=9) days. In contrast, in leptin treated animals, puberty was reached at 34.5±1.6 ( n=9) days. Ovarian sections revealed hypertrophy of granulosa cells in leptin treated animals. Moreover, the number of ovulations was 2-fold higher in the treated animals compared to controls (3–4 ovulations versus 7–8 on the first three estrous cycles, P