Effects of leptin on macrophages in vivo

Aims: Leptin directly contributes to the pathophysiology of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to elucidate the impact of leptin on macrophage physiology since macrophages play a role in both disease states. Methods: Leptin-deficient obese (ob/ob) female mice on a C57BL/6J background were treated with 1 mg/g body weight/d, murine recombinant leptin or saline for 8 weeks starting at 9 weeks of age. Leptin-induced differential gene expression in peritoneal macrophages (PM) derived by peritoneal lavage was determined by microarray analysis. Results: As expected, treatment with recombin…