Submit to Nutrients Review for Nutrients Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Leptin and Metabolic Programming

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2021) | Viewed by 20076

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Catalina Picó

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Nutrition and Biotechnology (Group of Nutrigenomics, Biomarkers and Risk Evaluation), University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, Spain
2. Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands IdISBa, 07010 Palma, Spain
3. CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Interests: metabolic programming; obesity; body weight cotrol; leptin; breast milk; nutrigenomics; biomarkers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Mariona Palou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Nutrition and Biotechnology (Nutrigenomics, Biomarkers and Risk Evaluation Group), University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, Spain
2. Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), 07120 Palma, Spain
3. CIBER of Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
4. Alimentómica S.L. Camí de na Pontons. s/n (Pol.11, Parc 3), 07310 Campanet, Spain
Interests: perinatal nutrition; metabolic programming and regulation; obesity; diets; metabolic alterations; nutrigenomics; bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Leptin was first described as a hormone produced specifically by white adipose tissue (WAT), playing a key role in body weight and food intake control, but is also involved in the regulation of metabolism, reproduction, and development. Later, it was described that leptin is also produced in tissues other than WAT, such as the stomach, placenta, and mammary gland, and is naturally present in breast milk, which has opened a new field of research on the new potential functions of leptin. In this sense, the environment during perinatal life, particularly fetal development and lactation period, has a robust impact on the programming of later metabolic health, and the hormone leptin, present in placenta, mammary gland, and breast milk, has been proposed as a key link on this association. In this Special Issue, we welcome contributions related to (a) the role leptin, particularly during pregnancy and lactation, (b) their physiological relevance and potential interaction with other factors, and (c) the effects of factors or conditions, such as diet and metabolic status, on leptin system and leptin production in body tissues, including placenta and mammary gland, which, in turn, may affect fetal and infant development and programming of future metabolic health.

Prof. Catalina Picó
Dr. Mariona Palou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Leptin
Gestation
Lactation
Breast milk
Placenta
Metabolic programming
Development

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

4 pages, 223 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Leptin and Metabolic Programming

by Catalina Picó and Mariona Palou

Nutrients 2022, 14(1), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14010114 - 28 Dec 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3833

Abstract

This Special Issue of Nutrients “Leptin and Metabolic Programming” includes one review article regarding the function of leptin throughout the entire life on cardiometabolic fates and four original articles related to the new function of leptin present in milk and liquid amniotic, its possible relation with other components of breast milk, and how environmental conditions may impact on leptin action and metabolic programming [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leptin and Metabolic Programming)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

18 pages, 1976 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Myo-Inositol Supplementation in Suckling Rats Protects against Adverse Programming Outcomes on Hypothalamic Structure Caused by Mild Gestational Calorie Restriction, Partially Comparable to Leptin Effects

by Pedro Castillo, Mariona Palou, Zhi Xin Yau-Qiu, Ana M. Rodríguez, Andreu Palou and Catalina Picó

Nutrients 2021, 13(9), 3257; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13093257 - 18 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3557

Abstract

We studied whether myo-inositol supplementation throughout lactation, alone and combined with leptin, may reverse detrimental effects on hypothalamic structure and function caused by gestational calorie gestation (CR) in rats. Candidate early transcript-based biomarkers of metabolic health in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were also studied. Offspring of dams exposed to 25% gestational CR and supplemented during lactation with physiological doses of leptin (CR-L), myo-inositol (CR-M), the combination (CR-LM), or the vehicle (CR-V) as well as control rats (CON-V) were followed and sacrificed at postnatal day 25. Myo-inositol and the combination increased the number of neurons in arcuate nucleus (ARC) (only in females) and paraventricular nucleus, and myo-inositol (alone) restored the number of αMSH⁺ neurons in ARC. Hypothalamic mRNA levels of Lepr in CR-M and Insr in CR-M and CR-LM males were higher than in CR-V and CON-V, respectively. In PBMC, increased expression levels of Lrp11 and Gls in CR-V were partially normalized in all supplemented groups (but only in males for Gls). Therefore, myo-inositol supplementation throughout lactation, alone and combined with leptin, reverts programmed alterations by fetal undernutrition on hypothalamic structure and gene expression of potential early biomarkers of metabolic health in PBMC, which might be attributed, in part, to increased leptin sensitivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leptin and Metabolic Programming)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

16 pages, 2491 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rat Milk and Plasma Immunological Profile throughout Lactation

by Blanca Grases-Pintó, Mar Abril-Gil, Paulina Torres-Castro, Margarida Castell, María J. Rodríguez-Lagunas, Francisco J. Pérez-Cano and Àngels Franch

Nutrients 2021, 13(4), 1257; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041257 - 11 Apr 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2950

Abstract

The composition of bioactive factors with immune activity in human breast milk is widely studied. However, the knowledge on rat milk immune factors during the whole lactation period is still scarce. This study aimed to analyze rat breast milk’s immunoglobulin (Ig) content and some critical adipokines and growth factors throughout the lactation period, and to assess relationships with corresponding plasma levels. During lactation, milk concentration of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2 and -β3 showed a punctual increase in the first week, whereas adiponectin and leptin remained stable. In the second period of lactation (d14–21), despite the increase in the milk epidermal growth factor (EGF), a decrease in fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) was detected at day 21. Milk IgA concentration had a progressive increase during lactation, while no significant changes were found in IgM and IgG. Regarding plasma levels, a decrease in all studied adipokines was observed in the second period of lactation, with the exception of IgA and TGF-β1, which reached their highest values at the end of the study. A positive correlation in IgM, IgG, and adipokine concentration was detected between milk and plasma compartments. In summary, the changes in the pattern of these bioactive compounds in rat milk and plasma and their relationships during lactation are established. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leptin and Metabolic Programming)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 4882 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Leptin Distribution in Rat Foetal and Extraembryonic Tissues in Late Gestation: A Physiological View of Amniotic Fluid Leptin

by Zhi Xin Yau-Qiu, Catalina Picó, Ana María Rodríguez and Andreu Palou

Nutrients 2020, 12(9), 2542; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092542 - 21 Aug 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2789

Abstract

Prenatal leptin is key to regulating foetal growth and early metabolic programming. The presence of intact leptin in rat foetal (at late gestation) and neonatal (immediately after birth) stomach content and mucosa has been previously described, suggesting that it may act as a regulatory nutrient for the neonate rats, be internalised by the stomach, and play a physiological role early in life, which requires to be further investigated, including its origin. We aimed to study the ontogeny of the presence of leptin in the foetal stomach and key extraembryonic tissues in rats at late gestation (days 18–21). Leptin concentration was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and placental leptin immunolocalisation was analysed by immunohistochemistry. Leptin showed a sudden appearance in the amniotic fluid (AF) at day 20 of gestation, gastric content (swallowed AF), stomach, and umbilical cord, significantly increasing at day 21. Leptin levels in these fluids and tissues were positively correlated. In the placenta, leptin was detectable at all the studied days, but its localisation changed from widespread throughout the placenta at day 18 to well-defined in the labyrinth zone from day 19 onwards. The results support a possible internalisation of AF leptin by the immature stomach of near-term foetuses and suggest that changes in placental leptin localisation might help to explain the sudden appearance of leptin in AF at gestational day 20, with potential physiological significance regarding short-term feeding control and metabolic programming in the developing offspring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leptin and Metabolic Programming)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

15 pages, 1470 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Postnatal Overnutrition Induces Changes in Synaptic Transmission to Leptin Receptor-Expressing Neurons in the Arcuate Nucleus of Female Mice

by Thais Tessari Zampieri, Tabata Mariz Bohlen, Marina Augusto Silveira, Larissa Campista Lana, Daniella G. de Paula, Jose Donato, Jr. and Renata Frazao

Nutrients 2020, 12(8), 2425; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082425 - 13 Aug 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3079

Abstract

The adipocyte-derived hormone leptin is a potent neurotrophic factor that contributes to the neural plasticity and development of feeding circuitry, particularly in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARH). Postnatal overnutrition affects leptin secretion and sensitivity, but whether postnatal overnutrition produces changes in the development of the synaptic transmission to ARH neurons is currently unknown. We evaluated the excitatory and inhibitory currents to ARH leptin receptor (LepR)-expressing neurons in prepubertal, pubertal and adult female mice. The effects of postnatal overnutrition in the expression of genes that code ion channels subunits in the ARH were also evaluated. We observed that the transition from prepubertal to pubertal stage is characterized by a rise in both excitatory and inhibitory transmission to ARH LepR-expressing neurons in control mice. Postnatal overnutrition induces a further increase in the excitatory synaptic transmission in pubertal and adult animals, whereas the amplitude of inhibitory currents to ARH LepR-expressing cells was reduced. Postnatal overnutrition also contributes to the modulation of gene expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate, GABA_B and ATP-sensitive potassium channel subunits in ARH. In summary, the synaptic transmission to ARH cells is profoundly influenced by postnatal overnutrition. Thus, increased adiposity during early postnatal period induces long-lasting effects on ARH cellular excitability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leptin and Metabolic Programming)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

14 pages, 583 KiB

Open AccessReview

Temporal Leptin to Determine Cardiovascular and Metabolic Fate throughout the Life

by Jae Geun Kim, Byung Ju Lee and Jin Kwon Jeong

Nutrients 2020, 12(11), 3256; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12113256 - 24 Oct 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2738

Abstract

Leptin links peripheral adiposity and the central nervous system (CNS) to regulate cardiometabolic physiology. Within the CNS, leptin receptor-expressing cells are a counterpart to circulating leptin, and leptin receptor-mediated neural networks modulate the output of neuroendocrine and sympathetic nervous activity to balance cardiometabolic homeostasis. Therefore, disrupted CNS leptin signaling is directly implicated in the development of metabolic diseases, such as hypertension, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Independently, maternal leptin also plays a central role in the development and growth of the infant during gestation. Accumulating evidence points to the dynamic maternal leptin environment as a predictor of cardiometabolic fate in their offspring as it is directly associated with infant metabolic parameters at birth. In postnatal life, the degree of serum leptin is representative of the level of body adiposity/weight, a driving factor for cardiometabolic alterations, and therefore, the levels of blood leptin through the CNS mechanism, in a large part, are a strong determinant for future cardiometabolic fate. The current review focuses on highlighting and discussing recent updates for temporal dissection of leptin-associated programing of future cardiometabolic fate throughout the entire life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leptin and Metabolic Programming)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Leptin and Metabolic Programming

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (6 papers)

Editorial

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI