Renal leptin in experimental nephrotic syndrome

Leptin is a fat derived hormone involved in the regulation of metabolism and body composition. The kidney is the principle organ responsible for elimination of circulating leptin. Our aim is to evaluate if the nephrotic kidneys participate in the metabolism of leptin by comparing the serum leptin level in renal veins and in their renal arteries and to study the relationship between leptin and lipoprotein levels in healthy and nephrotic rats. Methods: Rats were divided into two equal groups: group 1 in which experimental nephrotic syndrome was produced by injecting them intraperitoneally with a supernatant of the homogenized mixture of their own kidney (obtained by previous unilateral nephrectomy) and complete Freund’s adjuvant. Another group constituted the control group. Leptin and lipid profile were estimated in blood samples of renal veins and renal arteries. There was a highly significant increase in leptin and lipid profile levels in the nephrotic rats compared with the normal group. There was a high significant decrease in leptin in the renal venous blood compared with its level in the renal arterial blood of normal and nephrotic rats. This work has stressed the involvement of kidney and the nephrotic renal tissue in the process of leptin metabolism and lipogenesis.