ACUTE AND PROLONGED ADMINISTRATION OF GLUCOCORTICOIDS (METHYLPREDNISOLONE) DOES NOT AFFECT PLASMA LEPTIN CONCENTRATION IN HUMANS

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of glucocorticoid administration on leptin in humans. DESIGN: A 30 min IV infusion of methylprednisolon e (METH, 125 mg) or placebo (PLAC) followed by 4 d of oral administrat ion of METH (40 mg/d) or PLAC. Easting plasma glucose, free-fatty acid s (FFA), insulin and leptin concentrations were measured at baseline, 210 min after the beginning of the IV infusion and after 4 d of oral t reatment. SUBJECTS: Twenty healthy non-diabetic male volunteers (27+/- 5 y, 72+/-9 kg, 20+/-7% body fat; means+/-s.d.) fed a weight maintenan ce diet and randomly assigned to METH (n=10) or PLAC (n=10) treatment. RESULTS: At baseline, leptin was positively correlated with % body fa t in the 20 subjects (r=0.53; P<0.02). Acute METH administration signi ficantly increased fasting plasma glucose (P<0.01), but had no effect on insulin, FFA or leptin concentrations as compared to PLAC. Prolonge d METH administration significantly increased fasting plasma insulin P <0.05), but had no effect on glucose, FFA or leptin concentrations as compared to PLAC. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that in relatively le an individuals, the administration of therapeutic doses of methylpredn isolone does not change plasma leptin concentration.