LEPTIN: A NEUROENDOCRINE MEDIATOR OF IMMUNE FUNCTION IN VERTEBRATES

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event LEPTIN: A NEUROENDOCRINE MEDIATOR OF IMMUNE FUNCTION IN VERTEBRATES Gregory E. Demas1* 1 Indiana University, Biology, United States Immunity, like all other physiological processes, requires adequate energy to sustain optimal function. Despite this fact, the role of energy balance has only recently been considered in the context of immune function and disease. Energy is not limitless; finite energy reserves must serve all physiological processes and thus energy must be allocated to a wide variety of often competing physiological functions. At times of reduced energy availability, trade-offs occur in which energy must be re-allocated from less critical physiological functions to those most important for immediate survival. Despite the clear link between energy availability and immunity, relatively little is known regarding the physiological mechanisms by which energy regulates immune function. In the past few years alone, however, a variety of endocrine factors have been identified as potential candidates for providing biochemical signals of current energy availability. One obvious endocrine candidate linking available energy stores with immune function is leptin. Leptin, a peptide hormone synthesized and secreted almost exclusively by adipose tissue, is directly proportional to adipose tissue mass. Importantly, a wide variety of diverse actions within the immune system are influenced by leptin. Recent finding in support of leptin as a key regulator of energetic trade-offs in both laboratory and field studies and across several vertebrate taxa will be presented. Taken together, these studies provide compelling support for the hypothesis that leptin provides a neuroendocrine signal from body fat to the immune system indicating current energy reserves. References Demas, G. E., Drazen, D. L. and Nelson, R. J. 2003. Partial lipectomy reduces humoral immunity in male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) and Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). Proceedings of the Royal Society B 270: 905-911. Demas, G. E. and Sakaria, S. 2005. Leptin mediates trade-offs between body fat and humoural immunity. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 272: 1845-1850. Demas, G. E. 2010. Direct and indirect actions of leptin on lymphocyte proliferation in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus), Neuroendocrinology, General and Comparative Endocrinology, 166:314-9 Keywords: Antibodies, body fat, Cytokines, energetics, immune, Sickness Conference: NASCE 2011: The inaugural meeting of the North American Society for Comparative Endocrinology, Ann Arbor, United States, 13 Jul - 16 Jul, 2011. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Abstracts Citation: Demas GE (2011). LEPTIN: A NEUROENDOCRINE MEDIATOR OF IMMUNE FUNCTION IN VERTEBRATES. Front. Endocrinol. Conference Abstract: NASCE 2011: The inaugural meeting of the North American Society for Comparative Endocrinology. doi: 10.3389/conf.fendo.2011.04.00126 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 22 Jul 2011; Published Online: 09 Aug 2011. * Correspondence: Prof. Gregory E Demas, Indiana University, Biology, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, United States, gdemas@indiana.edu Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Gregory E Demas Google Gregory E Demas Google Scholar Gregory E Demas PubMed Gregory E Demas Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.