Fig. 4: Repeated stimulation of POMC neurons induces behavioral deficits in male mice. | Molecular Psychiatry

Fig. 4: Repeated stimulation of POMC neurons induces behavioral deficits in male mice.

From: Increased intrinsic and synaptic excitability of hypothalamic POMC neurons underlies chronic stress-induced behavioral deficits

Fig. 4Fig. 4

a Schematic illustration showing stereotaxic injections of AAV-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry or AAV-DIO-mCherry in the ARC of Pomc-Cre mice and a representative image showing mCherry-labeled POMC neurons in the ARC. b Left, representative trace of action potentials recorded in POMC neurons expressing hM3Dq in response to bath application of CNO (5 µM); middle, firing rate; right, membrane potential, n  =  3 neurons per group. c Behavioral responses of male mice to CNO injection (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.). c1 A single CNO injection. Sucrose preference test (t(14) = 0.5232, P = 0.6090): AAV-DIO-mCherry, n = 7; AAV-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry, n  =  9. Female urine sniffing test (treatment: F(1, 34) = 0.006, P = 0.9374; odor source: F(1, 34) = 72.98, P < 0.0001; treatment × odor source: F(1, 34) = 0.4274, P = 0.5177): AAV-DIO-mCherry, n  =  9; AAV-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry, n = 10. Forced swim test (t(15) = 1.190, P = 0.2525) and locomotor activity (t(15) = 1.385, P = 0.1863): AAV-DIO-mCherry, n = 8; AAV-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry, n  =  9. c2 Three days of CNO injections (once daily). Sucrose preference, t(10) = 3.518, P = 0.0056. Forced swim test, unpaired t test with Welch’s correction, P = 0.8930. Locomotor activity, t(10) = 0.01612, P = 0.9875. AAV-DIO-mCherry, n = 6; AAV-DIO-hM4Di-mCherry, n  =  6. c3 Ten days of CNO injections (once daily). Sucrose preference test (Mann Whitney test, P = 0.0292), forced swim test (t(27) = 2.211, P = 0.0357) and locomotor activity (Mann Whitney test, P = 0.0868): AAV-DIO-mCherry, n  =  14; AAV-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry, n  =  15. Female urine sniffing test (F(1, 54) = 3.410, P = 0.0703; odor source: F(1, 54) = 60.87, P < 0.0001; treatment × odor source: F(1, 54) = 3.293, P = 0.0751): AAV-DIO-mCherry, n  =  13; AAV-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry, n  =  16. d Behavioral responses of female mice to CNO injection (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.). d1 A single CNO injection. Sucrose preference test (t(15) = 0.8355, P = 0.4165): AAV-DIO-mCherry, n  =  8; AAV-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry, n  =  9. d2 Three days of CNO injections (once daily). Sucrose preference test (Mann Whitney test, P = 0.5403): AAV-DIO-mCherry, n  =  8; AAV-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry, n  =  9. Forced swim test (t(12) = 1.125, P = 0.2827) and locomotor activity (t(12) = 0.5193, P = 0.6130): n  =  7 per group. d3 Ten days of CNO injections (once daily). Sucrose preference test, t(16) = 0.6782, P = 0.5074. Forced swim test, t(16) = 0.6083, P = 0.5516. Locomotor activity, t(16) = 1.335, P = 0.1943. AAV-DIO-mCherry, n  =  9; AAV-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry, n  = 9 per group. *P  <  0.05, **P  <  0.01vs mCherry group.

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