Department of Cellular Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2012 May 15;177(1):28-36. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2012.01.009. Epub 2012 Jan 28.
Leptin is a 16-kDa protein mainly produced and secreted by white adipose tissue and informing various brain centers via leptin receptor long and short forms about the amount of fat stored in the body. In this way leptin exerts a plethora of regulatory functions especially related to energy intake and metabolism, one of which is controlling the activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress axis. First, this review deals with the basic properties of leptin's structure and signaling at the organ, cell and molecule level, from lower vertebrates to humans but with emphasis on rodents because these have been investigated in most detail. Then, attention is given to the various interactions of adipose leptin with the HPA-axis, at the levels of the hypothalamus (especially the paraventricular nucleus), the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland (action on corticotropes) and the adrenal gland, where it releases corticosteroids needed for adequate stress adaptation. Also, possible local production and autocrine and paracrine actions of leptin at the hypothalamic and pituitary levels of the HPA-axis are being considered. Finally, a schematic model is presented showing the ways peripherally and centrally produced leptin may modulate, via the HPA-axis, stress adaptation in conjunction with the control of energy homeostasis.
瘦素是一种 16kDa 的蛋白质，主要由白色脂肪组织产生和分泌，并通过瘦素受体的长型和短型向各种脑中枢传递体内储存脂肪的量。通过这种方式，瘦素发挥了大量的调节功能，特别是与能量摄入和代谢有关，其中之一是控制下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺 (HPA) 应激轴的活性。首先，这篇综述介绍了从低等脊椎动物到人类的瘦素在器官、细胞和分子水平上的结构和信号传递的基本特性，但重点是啮齿动物，因为这些动物的研究最为详细。然后，本文关注了脂肪瘦素与 HPA 轴的各种相互作用，包括下丘脑（特别是室旁核）、垂体前叶（对促肾上腺皮质激素细胞的作用）和肾上腺，在这些部位释放了适应应激所需的皮质激素。此外，还考虑了 HPA 轴下丘脑和垂体水平上瘦素的可能局部产生以及自分泌和旁分泌作用。最后，提出了一个示意模型，展示了外周和中枢产生的瘦素如何通过 HPA 轴与能量稳态的控制一起调节应激适应。
