Circulating Leptin Levels during Acute Experimental Endotoxemia and Antiinflammatory Therapy in Humans

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 1998-09, Vol.178 (3), p.887-890
• Main Authors: Bornstein, S. R., Preas, H. L., Chrousos, G. P., Suffredini, A. F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - blood; Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Blood plasma; Concise Comunications; Cytokines; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Endotoxemia; Endotoxemia - blood; Endotoxemia - drug therapy; Endotoxemia - physiopathology; Endotoxins; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Infections - blood; Escherichia coli Infections - drug therapy; Escherichia coli Infections - physiopathology; Experimental bacterial diseases and models; Female; Fever; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health care administration; Hormones; Humans; Ibuprofen - therapeutic use; Infectious diseases; Inflammation; Leptin; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous (drug allergy, mutagens, teratogens...); Molecular and cellular biology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Placebos; Proteins - metabolism; Sepsis; Single-Blind Method
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/515349

Leptin, a newly discovered adipose tissue-derived weight-reducing hormone, is increased in acute inflammation and may be involved in the anorexia and wasting syndrome associated with infection. To determine whether this hormone responds to an acute inflammatory stimulus, plasma leptin concentrations were measured in 12 healthy subjects after intravenous administration of endotoxin. These subjects were randomized to receive concurrently ibuprofen or placebo normal saline (6 in each group). Endotoxin administration resulted in fever, leukocytosis, and an increase in plasma levels of the stress hormones adrenocorticotropic hormone (3.2 ± 0.3 to 132.6 ± 75.5 pmol/L, P = .001) and cortisol (431.6 ± 44 to 796.9 ± 99 mmol/L, P = .001). Plasma leptin levels, however, did not change significantly from baseline values after administration of endotoxin (0 h: 6.9 ± 3.1 ng/mL; 6 h: 6.0 ± 2.2; 24 h: 6.5 ± 2.8). While ibuprofen suppressed fever and symptoms associated with endotoxemia, it had no effect on the plasma levels of leptin. In conclusion, acute experimental human endotoxinemia is not associated with acute changes in circulating leptin levels.