Environment, Leptin Sensitivity, and Hypothalamic Plasticity
Table 1
Summary of the main protocols for studying the interactions between environment, leptin, and neural plasticity, with their main features and effects on the ARC. The effects of the various rearing protocols on leptin levels, STAT3 phosphorylation (pSTAT3) in the ARC, and neural plasticity are described as compared to the standard rearing condition (first row).
Protocol
Animals per cage
Running wheel
Objects
Food
Leptin
pSTAT3 in the ARC
Neural plasticity in the ARC
Standard condition
3 to 5
No
No
Standard chow diet, ad libitum
Control value
Control value
Control value
Physical exercise
1 to 3
Yes
No
Standard chow diet, ad libitum
Not observed on synaptic puncta. No data available for other markers
Diet-induced obesity (DIO)
3 to 5
No
No
High-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, ad libitum
Extracellular Matrix Rearrangements
Caloric restriction
3 to 5
No
No
Standard chow diet, 70% to 90% of normal caloric intake, sometimes coupled to intermittent fasting
