Seasonal Changes of Body Mass and Energy Budget in Striped Hamsters: The Role of Leptin

Abstract

Proper adjustments of physiology and behavior are required for small mammals to cope with seasonal climate change. The aim of this study was to examine the role of leptin in the regulation of body mass and energy budget in striped hamsters. We first investigated seasonal changes in body mass, energy budget, and serum leptin levels in hamsters acclimated to outdoor natural daylight and ambient temperature. Then we assessed the effect of leptin administration on energy budget, serum lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HL) activities, and gene expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in brown adipose tissue and of hypothalamic neuropeptides associated with the regulation of energy balance in hamsters maintained at 21° and 5°C. Hamsters showed constant body mass throughout the four seasons but significantly increased food intake and thermogenesis in winter, compared to summer. Minimum body fat was observed in winter, and minimum serum leptin was found in autumn. Hamsters housed at 5°C showed higher energy intake, upregulated gene expression of UCP1 and hormone-sensitive lipase, and lower fat content and LPL and HL activity than the animals maintained at 21°C. Leptin administration had no effect on energy intake but increased maximal thermogenic capacity, as indicated by upregulated UCP1 gene expression at both 21° and 5°C. Body fat and activity of LPL and HL were decreased in hamsters treated with leptin. The results suggest that leptin plays an important role in the seasonal regulation of thermogenic capacity and body composition in striped hamsters. Leptin may be involved in increasing maximal thermogenesis in the cold rather than acting as a starvation signal to increase energy intake.