Publisher logo
Sign Up
Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Natural Science Series
Submit Manuscript
Applied Science Private University

Volume Volume 17, 2023 · Issue 1 · Open Access · Double-blind Peer-review

Submit an articleJournal homepage

Hypothesis

Correlation of High Serum Leptin Levels with Selected Stress-Associated Salivary Hormones in Healthy Young Arab Men

Mahmoud Abu-Samak1, Beisan Mohammad2, Shady Awwad3, Abeer Barham1 & Ahmed Abu-zaiton4

1 Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.

2 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

3 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.

* Corresponding author: Mahmoud Abu-Samak ([email protected])

Published: 30 Dec 2023

https://doi.org/10.35192/jjoas-n.v17i1.1453
Download PDF
Abstract

Background: Allostatic load is associated with the modern lifestyle of youth. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between stress markers, such as salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) hormone levels, in Arab young men with high levels of leptin.

Methods: A total of 118 males aged 18–26 years were eligible to participate in a retrospective cross-sectional study. Participants were categorized into two groups: those with moderate serum leptin levels (<7 ng/ml) and those with high serum leptin levels (≥7 ng/ml). Serum leptin, salivary cortisol, and DHEA levels, as well as lipid profile and fasting blood glucose, were assayed for each participant.

Results: A significant decrease in the mean levels of morning salivary DHEA was observed in the high-leptin group compared to the moderate-leptin group (p < 0.0001). A significant increase was also observed in mean values of body weight and body mass index. A positive correlation was found between morning salivary DHEA and serum leptin levels in all subjects (p = 0.003). Pearson correlation analysis showed significant correlations between morning salivary DHEA, body weight, body mass index, and triglyceride levels.

Conclusion: The serum leptin level was proportional to the DHEA/cortisol imbalance, which was associated with allostatic load and the inability to manage stress in young males.

KeywordsLeptinCortisolDHEAAllostatic loadObesityBMIYouth

License

Journal License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license

References

  1. Smith SM, Vale WW. The role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in neuroendocrine responses to stress. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2006;8(4):383-95. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2006.8.4/ssmith. PMID: 17290797; PMCID: PMC3181830.
  2. Doan SN, DeYoung G, Fuller-Rowell TE, Liu C, Meyer J. Investigating relations among stress, sleep and nail cortisol and DHEA. Stress. 2018 Mar;21(2):188-193. doi: 10.1080/10253890.2018.1429398. Epub 2018 Jan 26. PMID: 29373934.
  3. Yirmiya K, Djalovski A, Motsan S, Zagoory-Sharon O, Feldman R. Stress and immune biomarkers interact with parenting behavior to shape anxiety symptoms in trauma-exposed youth. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2018 Dec;98:153-160. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.08.016. Epub 2018 Aug 10. PMID: 30149270..
  4. Manoy P, Yuktanandana P, Tanavalee A, Anomasiri W, Ngarmukos S, Tanpowpong T, Honsawek S. Vitamin D Supplementation Improves Quality of Life and Physical Performance in Osteoarthritis Patients. Nutrients. 2017 Jul 26;9(8):799. doi: 10.3390/nu9080799. PMID: 28933742; PMCID: PMC5579593.
  5. Abu-Samak MS, AbuRuz ME, Masa'Deh R, Khuzai R, Jarrah S. Correlation of selected stress associated factors with vitamin D deficiency in Jordanian men and women. Int J Gen Med. 2019 Jun 28;12:225-233. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S198175. PMID: 31303782; PMCID: PMC6612048.
  6. Abu-Samak MS, Mohammad BA, Abu-Taha MI, Hasoun LZ, Awwad SH. Associations Between Sleep Deprivation and Salivary Testosterone Levels in Male University Students: A Prospective Cohort Study. Am J Mens Health. 2018 Mar;12(2):411-419. doi: 10.1177/1557988317735412. Epub 2017 Oct 13. PMID: 29025356; PMCID: PMC5818117.
  7. Abu-Taha M, Dagash R, Mohammad BA, Basheiti I, Abu-Samak MS. Combined Effect Of Coffee Consumption And Cigarette Smoking On Serum Levels Of Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, And Lipid Profile In Young Male: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Gen Med. 2019 Nov 22;12:421-432. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S213737. Erratum in: Int J Gen Med. 2020 Feb 04;13:27. PMID: 31819593; PMCID: PMC6878925.
  8. Abu-Samak M, Abu-Zaiton A, Al-Jaberi A, et al. Morning Salivary Cortisol Associates with Elevated Serum Leptin Levels in Jordanian Young Men with Olive Pollen Induced Allergic Rhinitis. J. Adv. Med. Med. Res. 2014; 4(3): 797–806.
  9. Nimptsch, K., Konigorski, S., & Pischon, T. (2019). Diagnosis of obesity and use of obesity biomarkers in science and clinical medicine. Metabolism, 92, 61-70.
  10.  Abu-Hasheesh MO, Abu-Samak MS, Al-Matubsi HY, Jaradeh MS, Jarrah SS, Khuzaie RF. Association of parental history of type 2 diabetes mellitus with leptin levels in Jordanian male youths. Saudi Med. J. 2010; 31(8): 882–886.
  11. Abu Khadra KM, Khalil AM, Abu Samak M, Aljaberi A. Evaluation of selected biochemical parameters in the saliva of young males using mobile phones. Electromagn. Biol. Med. 2015; 34(1): 72–76.
  12. Lee TK, Clarke IJ, John, JS, et al. High cortisol responses identify propensity for obesity that is linked to thermogenesis in skeletal muscle. FASEB J. 2014; 28(1): 35–44.
  13. Phillips AC, Carroll D, Gale CR, Lord JM, Arlt W, Batty GD. Cortisol, DHEAS, their ratio and the metabolic syndrome: Evidence from the Vietnam Experience Study. Eur. J. Endocrinol. 2010; 162(5): 919–923.
  14. Amin, M. R., Pednekar, D. D., Azgomi, H. F., Van Wietmarschen, H., Aschbacher, K., & Faghih, R. T. (2022). Sparse System Identification of Leptin Dynamics in Women With Obesity. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 ;  5(13):769951 . 
  15. Mohanraj, J., D’Souza, U. J., Fong, S. Y., Karkada, I. R., & Jaiprakash, H. (2022). Association between Leptin (G2548A) and Leptin Receptor (Q223R) Polymorphisms with Plasma Leptin, BMI, Stress, Sleep and Eating Patterns among the Multiethnic Young Malaysian Adult Population from a Healthcare University. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(14), 8862.
  16. Schwartz, A. G. (2022). Dehydroepiandrosterone, Cancer, and Aging. Aging and Disease, 13(2), 423.
  17. do Vale S, Martin Martins J, Fagundes MJ, do Carmo I. Plasma dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate is related to personality and stress response. Neuro. Endocrinol. Lett. 2011; 32(4): 442–448.
  18. Maninger N, Wolkowitz OM, Reus VI, Epel ES, Mellon SH. Neurobiological and Neuropsychiatric Effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA Sulfate (DHEAS). Front. Neuroendocrinol. 2009; 30(1): 65–91.
  19. Alhaj HA, Massey AE, McAllister-Williams RH. Effects of DHEA administration on episodic memory, cortisol, and mood in healthy young men: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2006; 188(4): 541–551.
  20. Doan, S. N., Ding, M., Burniston, A. B., Smiley, P. A., Chow, C. M., & Liu, C. H. (2022). Changes in Maternal Depression and Children’s Behavior Problems: Investigating the Role of COVID-19-Related Stressors, Hair Cortisol, and Dehydroepiandrosterone. Clinical Psychological Science, 21677026221076845.
  21. Hirokawa K, Fujii Y, Taniguchi T, Takaki J, Tsutsumi A. Association Between Cortisol to DHEA-s Ratio and Sickness Absence in Japanese Male Workers. Int. J. Behav. Med. 2018; 25(3): 362–367.
  22. Lai HM, Liu MSY, Lin TJ, Tsai YL, Chien EJ. Higher DHEAS Levels Associated with Long-Term Practicing of Tai Chi. Chin. J. Physiol. 2017; 60(2): 124–130.
  23. Tomiyama AJ. Stress and Obesity. Annu Rev Psychol. 2019 Jan 4; 70:703-718. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102936. Epub 2018 Jun 21. PMID: 29927688.
  24. Abu-Samak M, Yousef AM, Al-Jarie A, et al. Lipid and hematological parameters in hyperleptinemic healthy Arab male youth in Jordan. Pak. J. of Biol. Sci. 2011; 14(5): 344–350.
  25. Zulfania, Khan A, Ghaffar T, Kainat A, Arabdin M, Rehman Orakzai SU. Correlation between serum leptin level and Body mass index (BMI) in patients with type 2 diabetes Mellitus. J Pak Med Assoc. 2020 Jan;70(1):3-6. doi: 10.5455/JPMA.301135. PMID: 31954015.
  26.  Farooq R, Lutfullah S, Ahmed M. Serum leptin levels in obese infertile men and women. Pak. J. Pharm. Sci. 2014; 27(1): 67–71.
  27. Al-Shaer AH, Abu-Samak MS, Hasoun LZ, Mohammad BA, Basheti IA. Assessing the effect of omega-3 fatty acid combined with vitamin D3 versus vitamin D3 alone on estradiol levels: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial in females with vitamin D deficiency. Clin. Pharmacol. 2019; 11: 25–37.
  28. Abu-Samak M, Khuzaie R, Abu-Hasheesh MO, Jaradeh M, Fawzi M. Relationship of Vitamin B12 Deficiency with Overweight in Male Jordanian Youth. J. Appl. Sci. 2008; 8(17): 3060-3063.
  29. Chan S, Debono M. Replication of cortisol circadian rhythm: new advances in hydrocortisone replacement therapy. Ther Adv Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Jun;1(3):129-38. doi: 10.1177/2042018810380214. PMID: 23148157; PMCID: PMC3475279.
  30. Allott KA, Yuen HP, Bartholomeusz CF, et al. Stress hormones and verbal memory in young people over the first 12 weeks of treatment for psychosis. Psychiatry Res. 2018; 260: 60–66.
  31. Pinto, A., Malacrida, B., Oieni, J., et al. DHEA modulates the effect of cortisol on RACK1 expression via interference with the splicing of the glucocorticoid receptor. Br. J. Pharmacol. 2015; 172(11): 2918–2927.
  32. Kamin HS, Kertes DA. Cortisol and DHEA in development and psychopathology. Horm Behav. 2017 Mar; 89:69-85. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.11.018. Epub 2016 Dec 12. PMID: 27979632.
  33. Collomp K, Buisson C, Gravisse N. Effects of short-term DHEA intake on hormonal responses in young recreationally trained athletes: Modulation by gender. Endocrine. 2018; 59(3): 538–546.