Expression and function of leptin and its receptor in mouse mammary gland.

Leptin is an autocrine and paracrine factor which affects the development of duct, formation of gland alveolus, expression of milk protein gene and onset involution of mammary gland. In order to know the function and mechanism of leptin in mammary gland, the protein expression and localization of leptin and its long form receptor (OB-Rb) were detected by a confocal laser scanning microscope. To study the impacts of leptin on mammary gland and leptin signal transduction pathway in pregnancy-, lactation-and involution-stage mammary gland, explants were cultured and Western blotting was used. The results showed that in the whole development cycle of mammary gland, the expression of leptin and OB-Rb was in positive correlation. In virgin the leptin expression was the highest and then decreased in pregnancy. In lactation the expression of leptin was low and upgraded in involution, and recovered to the original level about virgin on involution 13 d. The localization of leptin and OB-Rb revealed that leptin induced the expression of OB-Rb specifically and controlled the development and physiological function of the mammary gland by binding to OB-Rb. In pregnancy stage, leptin stimulated proliferation and differentiation of ductal epithelial cells by JAK-MAPK signal pathway. In lactation, leptin induced gene expression of beta-casein by JAK-STAT5 signal pathway, and in involution leptin induced mammary epithelial cell apoptosis and mammary gland restitution by JAK-STAT3 signal pathway.