The Relationship Between Leptin And Essential Hypertension

Objective:To explore the relationship between leptin and blood pressure, left ventricular hypertrophy in patinas with essential hypertension. To determine the effect of leptin on the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) derived from SHR and WKY rats. To determine the the expression level of leptin receptor (ob-Rb)geneMethods: (1) 24 health persons of control group and 55 patients with essential hypertension were included in this study. Serum leptin concentration was assessed by radioimmunoassay, LVMI and IVST were measured by 2DE. The correlations between leptin and other parameters were analysed. (2) The proliferative effect of leptin on VSMC was determined by [3H] thymidine incorporation and the growth of VSMC. The expression of ob-Rb in VSMC was detected by using RT-PCR and western-blott.Results: leptin level in essential hypertension was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05) , without correlation to the grades of the hypertension ;Serum leptin level was correlated withBMI , W/H, but not to lipid, LVMI and IVST. Serum leptin levels were higher in women. The expression of otHRb mRNA and protein were significantly increased in VSMC from SHR, low-express in VSMC from WKY. Leptin stimulated the proliferation of VSMC only in SHR, but not in WKY .Conclusions: Serum leptin levels were higher in patients with essential hypertension, but no correlated with left ventricular hypertrophy, leptin is a proliferative factor for VSMC derived from SHR. The expression of ob-Rb mRNA and protein were increased significantly in VSMC from SHR, but lowly in VSMC from WKY.