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Horm Metab Res 2008; 40(1): 38-43
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1004525
Animals, Clinical

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Gender-dependent Differences in Serum Profiles of Insulin and Leptin in Caloric Restricted Rats

R. Guevara 1 [*] , A. Valle 1 [*] , M. Gianotti 1 , P. Roca 1 , J. Oliver 1
  • 1Grup de Metabolisme Energètic i Nutrició, Departament de Biologia Fonamental i Ciències de la Salut, Institut Universitari d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, and Ciber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CB06/03) Instituto Salud Carlos III, Spain
Further Information

Publication History

received 07.03.2007

accepted 05.07.2007

Publication Date:
07 January 2008 (online)

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Abstract

In the present study, we have investigated whether differences between male and female rats described in response to 40% caloric restriction (CR) were influenced by circulating level variations of sex hormones and/or insulin and leptin. Body weights (BW), organ weights, and adipose depot weights (ADW) were also measured. The most affected tissues by CR were the fat depots. Metabolically active organs were the least affected, especially more in females than in males (male weight lost: 24.3% vs. female: 17.3%). Testosterone and estradiol circulating levels did not show changes by CR. Insulin levels were decreased by CR in both genders, but was more evident in female rats than males. Leptin serum levels were higher in male rats than in females, and CR caused a circulating leptin level reduction only in males. In conclusion, our results indicate that leptin and insulin could be one of the keys of the different hormonal control of energy homeostasis in response to CR between female and male rats. In this sense, leptin serum levels correlated statistically with BW and with individual ADW only in male rats, whereas insulin serum levels correlated statistically with BW and with any of the ADW studied only in females.

Key words

fat adipose tissue - body weight - sex hormones - energy homeostasis - insulin level - leptin level

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1 These authors contributed equally to this work.

Correspondence

Dr. J. Oliver

Departament de Biologia Fonamental i Ciències de la Salut

Universitat de les Illes Balears

Ctra. Valldemossa km 7.5 E07122

Palma de Mallorca

Spain

Phone: +34/971/25 96 43

Fax: +34/971/17 31 84

Email: jordi.oliver@uib.es