Concentrations of Leptin in Serum of Gilts and Barrows Sired by Boars of Different Breeds and Adiposity

Leptin secreted from adipocytes is postu¬lated to be a metabolic link between heart disease and obesity in humans. Use of swine in biomedical research is increasing and the animal represents an excellent model for studying leptin. This experiment was conducted to provide basic information on the effects of sire and gender on serum con¬centrations of leptin in swine. A Berkshire boar, considered fat using swine industry standards, sired pigs with greater (P < 0.01) tenth rib backfat thickness and greater (P = 0.01) serum leptin compared to pigs sired by a Hampshire boar selected for production of lean, deep-muscled market hogs. Across sires, barrows were fatter (P < 0.01) than gilts. Circulating levels of leptin in swine are influenced by sire, and differences are likely due to genetically dictated differences in adiposity