Objective— To investigate the capacity of the adipokine leptin to promote angiogenesis by modulating the function of circulating angiogenic cells (CACs).

Methods and Results— In vitro, leptin specifically promoted CAC adhesion to tubular endothelial structures and migration along outgrowing sprouts of endothelial cells. In vivo, stimulation of CACs with leptin increased their capacity to promote new vessel formation in the chorioallantoic membrane of chicken embryos and to improve neovascularization of ischemic murine hind limbs. These effects required the phosphorylation of αvβ5 integrins, which depended on the interaction of leptin with its receptor ObR, and on Janus kinase (JAK) 2– and phospholipase C (PLC) γ-mediated activation of Src kinase. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, a negative regulator of leptin signaling, was overexpressed in CACs from obese, hyperleptinemic individuals, and this was associated with insensitivity of CACs to the angiogenic effects of leptin. Weight loss (by 30±15 kg) normalized protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B expression in CACs and restored their responsiveness to leptin. A similar dose-dependent response was found after incubation of CACs from obese subjects with a protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitor ex vivo.

Conclusion— Our results point to the ObR–Src kinase–αvβ5 cross talk as a distinct novel component of the network of specific interactions between integrins and cytokine receptors in angiogenesis.