Differential regulation of leptin receptor expression by insulin and leptin in neuroblastoma cells.

Leptin exerts its effects by interacting with specific membrane receptors (Ob-R). We studied the exact localization of long intracellular domain form (Ob-Rb) in human brain. In addition, we analyzed the regulatory features of Ob-Rb expression in two neuroblastoma cell lines. The Ob-Rb mRNAs were abundant in putamen, frontal lobe, medulla, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, thalamus, hippocampus, corpus callosum, caudate nucleus, and amygdala, indicating that Ob-Rb transcripts are expressed differently from that of other Ob-R isoforms. In SK-N-MC cells, the expression of Ob-Rb mRNA was induced by increasing doses of insulin, and the maximum amount of mRNA expression was 9.4-fold higher in the presence of insulin (100 nM for 24 h), compared to the absence of insulin. In IMR32 cells, the transcripts were increased 4.0-fold when cells were incubated with 1 nM of insulin for 48 h. In contrast, Ob-Rb expression in IMR32 cells decreased to 18% of control following a 24-h incubation period with 50 ng/mL of leptin, compared to incubation in the absence of leptin. These results indicate that expression of Ob-Rb is differentially regulated by inhibitory signals of energy balance in neuroblastoma cells. The identification of the novel regulatory mechanisms involving the Ob-Rb isoform by insulin and leptin now makes it possible to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involving increased food intake and uncontrolled energy balance associated with leptin resistance in obese individuals. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.