Effects of leptin on fracture healing in rat tibia
Gökçen Kerimoğlu1, Esin Yuluğ2, Servet Kerimoğlu3, Atilla Çıtlak4
1Department of Histology and Embryology, Trabzon Kanuni Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey
2Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical Faculty of Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
3Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medical Faculty of Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey;
4Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medical Faculty of Giresun University, Giresun, Turkey
Keywords: Fracture healing; leptin; rat; tibial fracture.
Abstract
Objectives: In this study, we aimed to evaluate possible effects of leptin on fracture healing. Materials and methods: Between November 2009 and May 2010, 54 male Sprague Dawley rats with a mean age of 16 weeks and a mean body weight of 323 g (range; 295-352 g) were included and randomly divided into three equal groups. Standardized tibial fractures were created to all rats. Group 1 was treated with 0.5 mL physiological saline, group 2 was treated with 0.1 µg/kg leptin within 0.5 mL physiological saline, and group 3 was treated 0.3 µg/kg leptin within 0.5 mL physiological saline for 14 days intraperitoneally. Each group was divided into three subgroups including six rats for the evaluation at second, third and fifth weeks.
Results: Radiological evaluation showed that fracture healing of group 3 was better than group 1 (p=0.014) only at fifth week. Histological evaluation revealed fracture healing of group 3 was better than group 1 at third week (p=0.011). At fifth week, both group 2 and group 3 had better fracture healing than group 1 (p=0.006, p=0.002, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference in fracture healing between group 2 and 3 at fifth week (p=0.176).
Conclusion: Leptin has a positive dose-dependent effect on rat tibial fracture healing.