BACKGROUND: In the present study we hypothesized that leptin-induced lipolyticeffects show depot-specific differences. MATERIAL/METHODS: Three-month-old male lean (+/+) and obesefa/fa rats were used. Lipolysis was determined in the absence or presence of leptin (0.63, 6.25 and 62.5nM) together with agents acting at the A1 adenosine receptor of fat cells isolated from both subcutaneousand omental depots. The glycerol released into the incubation medium was taken as the lipolytic rateindex. RESULTS: The highest dose of leptin produced a 57.5 +/- 7.3% and 70.3 +/- 3.8% increase in omentaland subcutaneous glycerol release, respectively, compared to the basal lipolytic rate (P<0.001).
The addition of the three leptin concentrations in the ligand-free state produced a significantly greater stimulation of lipolysis in subcutaneous fat cells (P=0.0331; P=0.0003 and P=0.0015, respectively) compared to omental adipocytes. Under adenosine A1 receptor agonism and antagonism the same pattern of response was observed between visceral and subcutaneous adipocytes of lean rats. Although adenosine deaminase produced near maximum lipolysis in the adipocytes of lean animals, only half of the maximum lipolytic rate (50.9±3.2%) was achieved in fat cells from fa/fa rats (P=0.0034). Leptin had no effect on the lipolytic activity of adipocytes from either localization in fa/fa rats.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that decreased sensitivity to the lipolytic effect of leptin in omental adipocytes compared to subcutaneous fat cells may underlie, at least in part, the association of  visceral fat accumulation with increased co-morbidities.

Keywords: Adipocytes, Leptin, Lipolysis, Rats, Zucker, Species Specificity, Virulence Factors, Bordetella