Transient increase in obese gene expression after food intake or insulin administration (original) (raw)

Nature volume 377, pages 527–528 (1995)Cite this article

Abstract

OBESITY is a disorder of energy balance, indicating a chronic disequilibrium between energy intake and expenditure1. Recently, the mouse ob gene2, and subsequently its human and rat homologues2-6, have been cloned. The ob gene product, leptin7, is expressed exclusively in adipose tissue, and appears to be a signalling factor regulating body-weight homeostasis and energy balance2,7-9. Because the level of ob gene expression might indicate the size of the adipose depot, we suggest that it is regulated by factors modulating adipose tissue size. Here we show that ob gene exhibits diurnal variation, increasing during the night, after rats start eating. This variation was linked to changes in food intake, as fasting prevented the cyclic variation and decreased ob messenger RNA. Furthermore, refeeding fasted rats restored ob mRNA within 4 hours to levels of fed animals. A single insulin injection in fasted animals increased ob mRNA to levels of fed controls. Experiments to control glucose and insulin independently in animals, and studies in primary adipocytes, showed that insulin regulates ob gene expression directly in rats, regardless of its glucose-lowering effects. Whereas the ob gene product, leptin, has been shown to reduce food intake and increase energy expenditure7-9, our data demonstrate that ob gene expression is increased after food ingestion in rats, perhaps through a direct action of insulin on the adipocyte.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Grundy, S. M. & Barnett, J. P. Disease-a-Month 36, 641–731 (1990).
    CAS PubMed Google Scholar
  2. Zhang, Y. et al. Nature 372, 425–432 (1994).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  3. Masuzaki, H. et al. Diabetes 44, 855–858 (1995).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  4. Geffroy, S. et al. Genomics 28, 603–604 (1995).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  5. Murakami, T. & Shima, K. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 209, 944–952 (1995).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  6. Funahashi, T. et al. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 211, 469–475 (1995).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  7. Halaas, J. L. et al. Science 269, 543–546 (1995).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  8. Pelleymounter, M. A. et al. Science 269, 540–543 (1995).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  9. Campfield, L. A., Smith,, F. J., Guisez, Y., Devos, R. & Burn, P. Science 269, 546–549 (1995).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  10. Maffei, M. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.SA. 92, 6957–6960 (1995).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  11. Peret, J., Macaire, I. & Chanez, M. J. Nutrition 103, 866–874 (1973).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  12. Jécquier, E. in Obesity (eds Bjorntorp. P. & Brodoff, B. N.) 130–135 (Lippincot, Philadelphia, 1992).
    Google Scholar
  13. Gazdar, A. F. et al. Cancer Res. 50, 5488–5496 (1990).
    CAS PubMed Google Scholar
  14. De Vos, P., Saladin, R., Auwerx, J. & Staels, B. J. biol. Chem. 270, 15958–15961 (1995).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  15. Cleveland, D. W. et al. Cell 20, 95–105 (1980).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  16. Postic, C. et al. Diabetes 42, 922–929 (1993).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  17. Hajduch, E. J., Guerre-Millo, M., Hainault, I. A., Guichard, C. M. & Lavau, M. M. J. cell. Biochem. 49, 251–258 (1992).
    Article CAS Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Biologie des Regulations chez les Eucaryotes, INSERM U325, Institut Pasteur, 1 Rue Calmette, F-59019, Lille, France
    Régis Saladin, Piet De Vos, Bart Staels & Johan Auwerx
  2. INSERM U177, Institut des Cordeliers, 75006, Paris, France
    Michele Guerre-Millot
  3. Ceremod CNRS UPR 1511, 92190, Meudon, France
    Armelle Leturque & Jean Girard

Authors

  1. Régis Saladin
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  2. Piet De Vos
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  3. Michele Guerre-Millot
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  4. Armelle Leturque
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  5. Jean Girard
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  6. Bart Staels
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  7. Johan Auwerx
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Saladin, R., De Vos, P., Guerre-Millot, M. et al. Transient increase in obese gene expression after food intake or insulin administration.Nature 377, 527–528 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/377527a0

Download citation