Central leptin suppresses splenic lymphocyte functions through activation of the corticotropin-releasing hormone-sympathetic nervous system.

Leptin is one of the key afferent signals that regulate food intake and energy expenditure by acting on specific receptors in the hypothalamus. Recently, leptin was reported to activate the peripheral immune system by acting directly on lymphocytes. To elucidate the brain-mediated participation of leptin in the modulation of peripheral immune functions, we examined the effects of intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of murine recombinant leptin on the proliferative response to Concanavalin A (ConA response) of splenic lymphocytes in rats. The ConA response of splenic lymphocytes was markedly reduced 30 min after icv injection of leptin. The suppressive effect of leptin was abolished completely either by surgical severing of the splenic nerves or by icv injection of an antibody against corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), but only partially by an anti-urocortin antibody. Icv injection of CRH and urocortin also suppressed the ConA response of splenic lymphocytes, and the effect of urocortin was prevented by the anti-CRH antibody, while that of CRH was not prevented by the anti-urocortin antibody. These results suggest that leptin suppresses peripheral lymphocyte functions, in contrast to the direct activating effects, indirectly through the activation of the CRH (urocortin)-sympathetic nervous system.