Leptin enhances N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)-induced tumour growth in gastric mucosa of male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Individuals who are obese are at a greater risk of developing gastric cancer. They are however also hyperleptinaemic. Chronic leptin treatment has been shown to upregulate numerous cancer-causing genes in the stomach of male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Leptin induces the expression of tumorigenic genes in the gastric mucosa of male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Unlabelled: Leptin promotes the growth of gastric cancer cells . It is, however, unknown if leptin induces gastric cancer . This study therefore investigated the effect of leptin on the histology and expression of tumorigenic genes in the stomach of rats following 40 weeks of leptin treatment.