Altered thermal preference by preoptic estrogen receptor alpha neurons in postpartum females
Objective: This study aims to investigate how reproductive experience (RE) alters thermal preference and thermoregulation in female mice, with a focus on estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)-expressing neurons in the preoptic area (POA). Methods: Thermal preference and body temperature were measured in fem...
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Molecular Metabolism |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212877825000158 |
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| author | Nan Zhang Meng Yu Qianru Zhao Bing Feng Yue Deng Jonathan C. Bean Qingzhuo Liu Benjamin P. Eappen Yang He Kristine M. Conde Hailan Liu Yongjie Yang Longlong Tu Mengjie Wang Yongxiang Li Na Yin Hesong Liu Junying Han Darah Ave Threat Nathan Xu Taylor Smiley Pingwen Xu Lulu Chen Tianshu Zeng Yanlin He Chunmei Wang |
| author_facet | Nan Zhang Meng Yu Qianru Zhao Bing Feng Yue Deng Jonathan C. Bean Qingzhuo Liu Benjamin P. Eappen Yang He Kristine M. Conde Hailan Liu Yongjie Yang Longlong Tu Mengjie Wang Yongxiang Li Na Yin Hesong Liu Junying Han Darah Ave Threat Nathan Xu Taylor Smiley Pingwen Xu Lulu Chen Tianshu Zeng Yanlin He Chunmei Wang |
| author_sort | Nan Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: This study aims to investigate how reproductive experience (RE) alters thermal preference and thermoregulation in female mice, with a focus on estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)-expressing neurons in the preoptic area (POA). Methods: Thermal preference and body temperature were measured in female mice with and without RE, and virgin female mice with selective deletion of ERα from the POA (ERαPOA-KO). The number and activity of ERα-expressing POA neurons (ERαPOA) were assessed using immunohistochemistry and in vitro electrophysiology in response to temperature changes and ERα agonist. Results: We showed that female mice prefer a cooler environment starting from late pregnancy and persisting long term postpartum. Female mice with RE (>4 weeks post-weaning) displayed lower body temperature and a lower thermal preferred temperature, and lost preference for warm environments (30 °C) but preserved avoidance of cold environments (15 °C). This was associated with a significant decrease in the number of ERαPOA neurons. Importantly, virgin female ERαPOA-KO mice displayed lower thermal preferred temperature and impaired warm preference, mimicking RE mice. We further found that distinct ERαPOA subpopulations can be regulated by temperature changes with or without presynaptic blockers, and by ERα agonist. More importantly, RE decreased the number of warm-activated ERαPOA neurons and reduced the excitatory effects of warmth and estrogen-ERα signaling, while cold-activated ERαPOA neurons were slightly enhanced in female mice with RE. Conclusion: Our results support that the thermosensing ability and estrogenic effects in ERαPOA neurons are regulated by reproductive experience, altering thermal preference. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d01f9cabf0b24297886996278744dc2f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2212-8778 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Molecular Metabolism |
| spelling | doaj-art-d01f9cabf0b24297886996278744dc2f2025-02-10T04:34:21ZengElsevierMolecular Metabolism2212-87782025-03-0193102108Altered thermal preference by preoptic estrogen receptor alpha neurons in postpartum femalesNan Zhang0Meng Yu1Qianru Zhao2Bing Feng3Yue Deng4Jonathan C. Bean5Qingzhuo Liu6Benjamin P. Eappen7Yang He8Kristine M. Conde9Hailan Liu10Yongjie Yang11Longlong Tu12Mengjie Wang13Yongxiang Li14Na Yin15Hesong Liu16Junying Han17Darah Ave Threat18Nathan Xu19Taylor Smiley20Pingwen Xu21Lulu Chen22Tianshu Zeng23Yanlin He24Chunmei Wang25Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China; Diabetes and Metabolic Disease Clinical Research Center of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Metabolic Abnormalities and Vascular Aging, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China; Hubei Branch of National Center for Clinical Medical Research of Metabolic Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, ChinaChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAPennington Biomedical Research Center, Brain Glycemic and Metabolism Control Department, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-central Minzu University, Wuhan, 430074, ChinaPennington Biomedical Research Center, Brain Glycemic and Metabolism Control Department, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USAPennington Biomedical Research Center, Brain Glycemic and Metabolism Control Department, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USADivision of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USADepartment of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China; Diabetes and Metabolic Disease Clinical Research Center of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Metabolic Abnormalities and Vascular Aging, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China; Hubei Branch of National Center for Clinical Medical Research of Metabolic Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China; Diabetes and Metabolic Disease Clinical Research Center of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Metabolic Abnormalities and Vascular Aging, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China; Hubei Branch of National Center for Clinical Medical Research of Metabolic Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China; Corresponding author. Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Brain Glycemic and Metabolism Control Department, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USA; Corresponding author.Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Corresponding author.Objective: This study aims to investigate how reproductive experience (RE) alters thermal preference and thermoregulation in female mice, with a focus on estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)-expressing neurons in the preoptic area (POA). Methods: Thermal preference and body temperature were measured in female mice with and without RE, and virgin female mice with selective deletion of ERα from the POA (ERαPOA-KO). The number and activity of ERα-expressing POA neurons (ERαPOA) were assessed using immunohistochemistry and in vitro electrophysiology in response to temperature changes and ERα agonist. Results: We showed that female mice prefer a cooler environment starting from late pregnancy and persisting long term postpartum. Female mice with RE (>4 weeks post-weaning) displayed lower body temperature and a lower thermal preferred temperature, and lost preference for warm environments (30 °C) but preserved avoidance of cold environments (15 °C). This was associated with a significant decrease in the number of ERαPOA neurons. Importantly, virgin female ERαPOA-KO mice displayed lower thermal preferred temperature and impaired warm preference, mimicking RE mice. We further found that distinct ERαPOA subpopulations can be regulated by temperature changes with or without presynaptic blockers, and by ERα agonist. More importantly, RE decreased the number of warm-activated ERαPOA neurons and reduced the excitatory effects of warmth and estrogen-ERα signaling, while cold-activated ERαPOA neurons were slightly enhanced in female mice with RE. Conclusion: Our results support that the thermosensing ability and estrogenic effects in ERαPOA neurons are regulated by reproductive experience, altering thermal preference.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212877825000158ThermoregulationThermosensingPreoptic areaEstrogen receptor alphaReproductive experience |
| spellingShingle | Nan Zhang Meng Yu Qianru Zhao Bing Feng Yue Deng Jonathan C. Bean Qingzhuo Liu Benjamin P. Eappen Yang He Kristine M. Conde Hailan Liu Yongjie Yang Longlong Tu Mengjie Wang Yongxiang Li Na Yin Hesong Liu Junying Han Darah Ave Threat Nathan Xu Taylor Smiley Pingwen Xu Lulu Chen Tianshu Zeng Yanlin He Chunmei Wang Altered thermal preference by preoptic estrogen receptor alpha neurons in postpartum females Molecular Metabolism Thermoregulation Thermosensing Preoptic area Estrogen receptor alpha Reproductive experience |
| title | Altered thermal preference by preoptic estrogen receptor alpha neurons in postpartum females |
| title_full | Altered thermal preference by preoptic estrogen receptor alpha neurons in postpartum females |
| title_fullStr | Altered thermal preference by preoptic estrogen receptor alpha neurons in postpartum females |
| title_full_unstemmed | Altered thermal preference by preoptic estrogen receptor alpha neurons in postpartum females |
| title_short | Altered thermal preference by preoptic estrogen receptor alpha neurons in postpartum females |
| title_sort | altered thermal preference by preoptic estrogen receptor alpha neurons in postpartum females |
| topic | Thermoregulation Thermosensing Preoptic area Estrogen receptor alpha Reproductive experience |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212877825000158 |
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