cron-web.org

[A1CR]

It appears that for http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhesus_monkeys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptin affects brain hormones,
some of which
control female reproduction. That "these macaques often enjoy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fig_Newton and apricots, and
are particularly
keen on "pouching" large quantities of marshmallows" may
suggest human like
diets for these monkey, but they appear to consume mostly
plant-based diets.
Leptin does not appear to be involved in the lack of
ovulation of the
monkeys on CR. "The US Food and Drug Administration allows
for fig paste to
have up to 13 insect heads per 100 grams".

Lujan ME, Krzemien AA, Reid RL, Van Vugt DA.
Effect of Leptin Administration on Ovulation in
Food-Restricted Rhesus
Monkeys.
Neuroendocrinology. 2006 Nov 13; [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 17106186

A chronic negative energy balance due to low nutritional
intake or increased
energy expenditure alters several neuroendocrine axes. The
reproductive and
thyroid axes are inhibited while the adrenal axis is
stimulated. In
primates, anovulation resulting from a chronic negative
energy balance is a
condition often referred to as nutritional amenorrhea. The
objective of the
current study was to determine if hypoleptinemia induced by
dietary
restriction is responsible for these neuroendocrine changes,
particularly
anovulation. Five rhesus monkeys had their dietary intake
gradually reduced
to inhibit ovulation. Dietary restriction inhibited
follicle-stimulating
hormone (FSH) and triiodothyronine (T(3)) secretion and
stimulated cortisol
release. Recombinant human leptin (rhleptin) administered by
continuous
infusion into the lateral ventricle for 16 weeks inhibited
cortisol
secretion but failed to stimulate FSH, T(3) or ovulation. An
immune response
to rhleptin was noted after 3 weeks of leptin
administration. Realimentation
resulted in weight gain and reversed all endocrine responses
to dietary
restriction, including ovulation. These results do not
support a role for
reduced leptin secretion in anovulation induced by dietary
restriction. The
inability of rhleptin to reverse anovulation induced by a
negative energy
balance in monkeys is in contrast to its stimulatory effect
on ovulation in
women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea. Different
outcomes may be
attributed to the degree of negative energy balance, the
immune response
generated by interspecies leptin administration, and/or
other experimental
variables such as dose or route of administration.
Attributing opposing
outcomes to species differences is unwarranted until these
variables can be
further examined.