Chronic stress modulates the expression level of leptin and leptin receptors in the hypothalamus of male rats with a history of maternal stress.

The activity of different neurotransmitter pathways in the hypothalamus controls the stress response. Meanwhile, leptin is known as an effective mediator in the stress response, and its serum and brain levels change when exposed to stressful factors. In this study, the effect of chronic social instability stress (INS) and chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) on anxiety-like behavioral responses and the level of expression of leptin and its receptor in the brain of male Wistar rats that were under maternal stress (MS) were investigated.