Effects of Leptin on Arcuate Pro‐Opiomelanocortin and Cocaine‐Amphetamine‐Regulated Transcript Expression Are Independent of Circulating Levels of Corticosterone

In the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, neurones that coexpress cocaine-amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone [alpha-MSH; pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) derived] peptides exert catabolic actions and are stimulated by leptin. However, leptin treatment also affects other circulating factors that influence hypothalamic gene expression. Notably, the hypercorticoste…