We have associated functional and molecular studies of insulin and leptin to investigate the effect of TNF-alpha on central insulin and leptin signaling in rats pre-treated with PTP1B-ASO. The icv infusion of TNF-alpha-induced an increase in PTP1B protein expression and activity, and attenuated insulin and leptin sensitivity and signaling in the hypothalamus. However, TNF-alpha was able to completely blunt the leptin and insulin effect in rats treated with PTP1B-ASO, suggesting that TNF-alpha does not require PTP1B to fully attenuate the leptin and insulin effects. In addition, our data also show that other mechanisms of insulin and leptin resistance are activated in the hypothalamus by TNF-alpha. (C) 2010 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.5841431793184