Cigarette smoking may reduce plasma leptin concentration via catecholamines.

BACKGROUND: Leptin might influence body weight among smokers. DESIGN: (A) Screening of plasma leptin levels in 222 sedentary, smoking and non-smoking middle-aged men. (B) Double-blind, placebo-controlled smoking intervention on smokers (n=31). (C) Non-smokers (n=40) received chewing gum with nicotine (2mg nicotine, n=23) or without nicotine (n=19). (D) The effects of nicotine (0.05 and 0.5 microg/mL) were monitored on leptin secretion and mRNA levels in a human placental cell line (BeWo) expressing leptin, a murine adipocyte cell line (3T3-L1) and human adipose tissue explants. RESULTS: (A) Plasma leptin levels in smoking men (8.4+/-8.4 ng/mL, n=100) was lower as compared to non-smokers (10.3+/-7.3 ng/mL, n=122) (P<0.001), even when adjusted for differences in body mass index (BMI) (P<0.001). (B) A significant reduction (P=0.02) in plasma concentration of leptin was found already after smoking one cigarette. Concomitant with the 3-5 fold increase in plasma nicotine concentration after the first cigarette, we observed increased plasma adrenaline levels (P=0.005). (C) There was no effect of nicotine on plasma leptin levels in non-smokers receiving nicotine-containing chewing gum, and plasma concentrations of catecholamines were unaltered. (D) There was no effect of nicotine on leptin mRNA expression after incubation with cells or adipose tissue. CONCLUSION: Cigarette smoking reduced plasma leptin concentration in vivo, whereas nicotine had no direct effect on leptin expression in vitro. Nicotine might indirectly reduce leptin secretion via enhanced plasma catecholamine concentration.