Twenty-four-hour variation in serum leptin in the elderly.

To investigate the possibility that the aging process may affect the diurnal variation in serum leptin in humans, serum leptin levels were measured by a sensitive radioimmunoassay method in 12 elderly (aged 72 to 87 years) and 10 middle-aged (35 to 50 years) lean male subjects. Fasting blood samples (4 mL) were drawn at 8:00 AM, and then every 4 hours until 10:00 PM and every 2 hours from 12:00 midnight to 8:00 AM of the next morning. Circadian rhythmicity analysis was performed using the cosinor method. In elderly subjects, serum leptin levels showed a significant diurnal rhythm, which was similar to that observed in controls. Single cosinor analysis showed a significant rhythm in eight of 12 elderly subjects and in all middle-aged subjects but one. Compared with middle-aged subjects, similar mesor mean values (7.8 +/- 1.0 v 8.1 +/- 0.8 ng/mL) but a decreased amplitude (1.4 +/- 0.3 v 2.3 +/- 0.2 ng/mL) and an earlier acrophase (11:56 PM v 2:04 AM) were observed in the elderly. The data demonstrate that the diurnal variation in serum leptin is generally preserved in the elderly. However, the amplitude of leptin diurnal excursion undergoes a reduction with advancing age. It can be speculated that the blunted diurnal variation in serum leptin observed in the elderly may result in an alteration of the afferent signal in the adipose tissue-central nervous system homeostatic loop.