Estrogen-sensitive medial preoptic area neurons coordinate torpor in mice

Author(s):Show less -

Zhang, Zhi ^{[1, 2]} ; Reis, Fernando M. C. V. ^[3] ; He, Yanlin ^{[4, 5]} ; Park, Jae W. ^[1] ; DiVittorio, Johnathon R. ^[1] ; Sivakumar, Nilla ^[1] ; van Veen, J. Edward ^{[1, 2]} ; Maesta-Pereira, Sandra ; Shum, Michael ^{[6, 7]} ; Nichols, India ^[1] ; Massa, Megan G. ^{[1, 2]} ; Anderson, Shawn ^[1] ; Paul, Ketema ^[1] ; Liesa, Marc ^{[6, 7]} ; Ajijola, Olujimi A. ^[8] ; Xu, Yong ; Adhikari, Avishek ^{[3, 2]} ; Correa, Stephanie M. ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Calif Los Angeles, Dept Integrat Biol & Physiol, Los Angeles, CA 90095 - USA

^[2] Univ Calif Los Angeles, Brain Res Inst, Los Angeles, CA 90024 - USA

^[3] Univ Calif Los Angeles, Dept Psychol, Los Angeles, CA - USA

^[4] Baylor Univ, Dept Pediat, USDA ARS, Childrens Nutr Res Ctr, Houston, TX 77030 - USA

^[5] Louisiana State Univ, Pennington Biomed Res Ctr, Baton Rouge, LA 70808 - USA

^[6] David Geffen Sch Med, Dept Med, Div Endocrinol, Los Angeles, CA - USA

^[7] David Geffen Sch Med, Dept Mol & Med Pharmacol, Los Angeles, CA - USA

^[8] Univ Calif Los Angeles, David Geffen Sch Med, Dept Med, Cardiac Arrhythmia Ctr, Los Angeles, CA 90095 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS; v. 11, n. 1 DEC 11 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

Homeotherms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite changing environments. During energy deficiency, some species can cease to defend their body temperature and enter a hypothermic and hypometabolic state known as torpor. Recent advances have revealed the medial preoptic area (MPA) as a key site for the regulation of torpor in mice. The MPA is estrogen-sensitive and estrogens also have potent effects on both temperature and metabolism. Here, we demonstrate that estrogen-sensitive neurons in the MPA can coordinate hypothermia and hypometabolism in mice. Selectively activating estrogen-sensitive MPA neurons was sufficient to drive a coordinated depression of metabolic rate and body temperature similar to torpor, as measured by body temperature, physical activity, indirect calorimetry, heart rate, and brain activity. Inducing torpor with a prolonged fast revealed larger and more variable calcium transients from estrogen-sensitive MPA neurons during bouts of hypothermia. Finally, whereas selective ablation of estrogen-sensitive MPA neurons demonstrated that these neurons are required for the full expression of fasting-induced torpor in both female and male mice, their effects on thermoregulation and torpor bout initiation exhibit differences across sex. Together, these findings suggest a role for estrogen-sensitive MPA neurons in directing the thermoregulatory and metabolic responses to energy deficiency. Torpor is a state of reduced metabolism and body temperature that conserves energy when food is scarce. Here the authors show that estrogen-sensitive neurons in the hypothalamus regulate torpor in mice, maintaining torpor in both sexes but initiating torpor and regulating core temperature differentially across sex. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/08668-1 - In vivo study of GABAergic and glutamatergic neuronal populations of the periaqueductal gray matter in response to different kinds of threat
• Grantee: Fernando Midea Cuccovia Vasconcelos Reis
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• FAPESP's process: 15/23092-3 - Signaling pathways involved in fear memory to predatory threats
• Grantee: Fernando Midea Cuccovia Vasconcelos Reis
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate