Fig. 4: ERα+ cells in the MPA are required for thermoregulation and fasting-induced torpor.
From: Estrogen-sensitive medial preoptic area neurons coordinate torpor in mice
a Schematic showing stereotaxic delivery of AAV encoding a Cre-dependent caspase to the MPA of Esr1Cre mice to ablate Esr1-expressing cells. b ERα immunoreactivity in the MPA of female mice following AAV-mediated ablation of Esr1-expressing cells (right, representative of n = 8 mice) or littermate controls (left, representative of n = 8 mice). 3v third ventricle, ac anterior commissure. Scale bar: 200 µm. c ERα immunoreactivity in the MPA of n = 8 control females (left plot, black circles), n = 8 ablated females (pink circles), n = 8 control males (right plot, black circles), and n = 7 ablated males. d Core body temperature (Tcore) over 24 h, measured every 5 min for 3 days. Group averages shown for control (black, n = 8) and ablated (pink, n = 8 female; blue, n = 7 male) mice. Shading along the curve denotes the SEM. e Average Tcore from mice shown in panel d highlighting per animal averages in light (7:00 to 19:00), dark (19:00 to 7:00), and total 24 h periods. f Representative Tcore measured every 5 min over 3 days during fasting-induced torpor in control (black) and ERα neuronal ablated (pink) female mice. Dashed line denotes Tcore = 31°C, the cutoff for hypothermia used here g Change in Tcore (ΔTcore = Lowest Tcore - Avg Tcore before the fast), variace of the Tcore, total time spent with Tcore ≤ 31°C, and number of bouts with Tcore ≤ 31 °C during the fasting period (n = 7 control females, 7 ablated females, 6 control males, 8 ablated males). Statistical significance denoted by NS, not significant; *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001 for two tailed t-tests c, Sidak’s multiple comparison tests e, g following a significant effect of treatment, time or sex or interactions in a two-way (RM) ANOVA. All error bars show SEM.
