RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Putative roles of leptin on airways reactivity JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP p3843 VO 38 IS Suppl 55 A1 Irina Luciana Dumitriu A1 Elena Cojocaru A1 Bogdan Gurzu A1 Liliana Georgeta Foia A1 Simona Mihaela Slatineanu YR 2011 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p3843.abstract AB There is growing evidence that sustain the associations between the airway hiperreactivity and obesity. Leptin is an adipokine with a not well-established functional role on airways function. The specific airway resistance (sRaw) and isolated bronchial rings reactivity were assessed on obese resistant (OR) and obese prone (OP) rats, fed with hight fat diet. Results were compared with data from Sprague Dawley (SD) rats fed with standard diet. In vitro experiments were performed on main left bronchus rings. Both contraction induced by 10μM acetylcholine (ACh) and terbutaline-induced relaxation were assessed. On OP bronchi, the terbutaline dose-response curve was shifted to the right and the maximal relaxant effect was decreased up to 20%. Leptin pretreatment did not significantly modify terbutaline relaxant effects on OR rats but restored terbutaline effects on OP bronchi. Inhibition of all NO synthases (NOS) with 10μM N(G)-nitro L-arginine methyl ester blocked the leptin effects. Aminoguanidine (inhibitor of inducible NOS) partially prevented the leptin effects. The ACh-induced sRaw variation was not significantly modify by intratracheal administration of leptin on OP, as compared with OR. On the other hand, the exogenous leptin significantly increased the sRaw on OR as compared with SD. These results suggest that leptin could have protective effects on airway hyperresponsiveness by stimulation of NO synthesis due to the activation mainly of constitutive NOS (cNOS), and not only the obesity but also the diet could modify the airways function.