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Effects of a short-term reduction in brain serotonin synthesis on the availability of the soluble leptin receptor in healthy women

  • Translational Neurosciences - Original Article
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Abstract

Serotonin (5-HT) and the hormone leptin have been linked to the underlying neurobiology of appetite regulation with evidence coming from animal and cellular research, but direct evidence linking these two pathways in humans is lacking. We examined the effects of reduced brain 5-HT synthesis due to acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) on levels of soluble leptin receptor (sOb-R), the main high-affinity leptin binding protein, in healthy adults using an exploratory approach. Women, but not men, showed reduced sOb-R concentrations after ATD administration. With females showing reduced baseline levels of central 5-HT synthesis compared to males diminished brain 5-HT synthesis affected the leptin axis through the sOb-R in females, thereby potentially influencing their vulnerability to dysfunctional appetite regulation and co-morbid mood symptoms.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Excellence Initiative of the German federal and state governments. The authors would also like to thank all participants for their participation in this study. Moreover, we would like to thank the staff at our laboratory for their continuous support of this investigation.

Conflict of interest

FDZ was the recipient of an unrestricted award donated by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education (APIRE) and AstraZeneca (Young Minds in Psychiatry Award). He has also received research support from the European Commission (FemNAT-CD, FP7 project), the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology, the German Society for Social Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the Paul and Ursula Klein Foundation, the Dr. August Scheidel Foundation, the IZKF fund of the University Hospital of RWTH Aachen University, and a travel stipend donated by the GlaxoSmithKline Foundation. He is the recipient of an unrestricted educational grant, travel support and speaker honoraria by Shire Pharmaceuticals, Germany. In addition, he has received support from the Raine Foundation for Medical Research (Raine Visiting Professorship). All other authors report no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    F. D. Zepf, V. L. S. Dingerkus, K. Helmbold, S. Bubenzer-Busch, C. S. Biskup, B. Herpertz-Dahlmann, U. Hagenah & T. J. Gaber

  2. JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen and Jülich, Germany

    F. D. Zepf, V. L. S. Dingerkus, K. Helmbold, S. Bubenzer-Busch, C. S. Biskup, B. Herpertz-Dahlmann & T. J. Gaber

  3. Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    M. Schaab & J. Kratzsch

  4. Department of Pharmacy, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany

    A. Eisert

  5. Department of Immunology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany

    L. Rink

  6. Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine, Jülich Research Center, Jülich, Germany

    F. D. Zepf

Authors
  1. F. D. Zepf
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  2. V. L. S. Dingerkus
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  3. K. Helmbold
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  4. S. Bubenzer-Busch
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  5. C. S. Biskup
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  6. B. Herpertz-Dahlmann
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  7. M. Schaab
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  8. J. Kratzsch
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  9. A. Eisert
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  10. L. Rink
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  11. U. Hagenah
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  12. T. J. Gaber
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Correspondence to F. D. Zepf.

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Zepf, F.D., Dingerkus, V.L.S., Helmbold, K. et al. Effects of a short-term reduction in brain serotonin synthesis on the availability of the soluble leptin receptor in healthy women. J Neural Transm 122, 343–348 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-014-1292-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-014-1292-1

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