Effects of leptin on neurocognitive and motor functions in juvenile rats in a preterm brain damage model.

Effects of leptin on neurocognitive and motor functions in juvenile rats in a preterm brain damage model. Mol Med Rep. 2018 Aug 14;: Authors: Feng EC, Jiang L Abstract Preterm infants face lifelong disabilities, including learning disorders, as well as visual, auditory and behavioral problems. Recent studies have demonstrated that leptin, an adipocytokine encoded by a gene associated with obesity and expressed in adipose tissue, affects neurocognitive and motor function; however, the mechanisms of brain damage in preterm infants are unclear. In the present study, the neuroprotective effects of leptin in a rat model of preterm hypoxic‑ischemic brain damage were investigated. Rats (2‑days‑old) were subjected to brain damage (ligation of the common carotid artery followed by exposure to 6% oxygen for 2 h) and treated with vehicle (control) or leptin. Spatial memory was analyzed in the present study using the Morris water maze test 19 days following ligation. Over the 24‑day post‑surgical observation period, capture‑resistance test, forelimb suspension and open field tests were conducted to evaluate motor function and anxiety‑associated behavior. Treatment with leptin did not affect survival rate or body weight. Treatment with leptin increased the number of platform crossings in rats with premature brain damage in the Morris water maze test, which was used to assess spatial memory. Multivariate analysis revealed that lept...
Source: Molecular Medicine Reports - Category: Molecular Biology Tags: Mol Med Rep Source Type: research