Involvement of bradykinin and nitric oxide in leptin-mediated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle.

Regulation of glucose metabolism in peripheral tissues by leptin has been highlighted recently, although its mechanism is unclear. In this study, we postulated that bradykinin and nitric oxide (NO) are involved in the effect of leptin-mediated glucose uptake in peripheral tissues and examined these possibilities. Injection of leptin (200 pg/mouse) into the ventromedial hypothalamus-enhanced glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue, but not in white adipose tissue. Treatment with Hoe140 (0.1 mg/kg), bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist, or L-NAME (N:(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester) (30 mg/kg), nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, did not influence the basal level of glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and the adipose tissue, whereas Hoe140 and L-NAME inhibited leptin-mediated glucose uptake in skeletal muscles, but had no effect in adipose tissue. However, Hoe140 and L-NAME did not inhibit insulin (1.0 U/kg)-mediated glucose uptake in all tissues examined. Taken together, these results suggest that leptin enhances bradykinin and/or the NO system, which contributes at least partially to the enhanced glucose uptake in skeletal muscles.