Fig. 7: CORT increases HFD intake and LHPenk neuronal reactivity to HFD consumption. | Nature Communications

Fig. 7: CORT increases HFD intake and LHPenk neuronal reactivity to HFD consumption.

From: Lateral hypothalamic proenkephalin neurons drive threat-induced overeating associated with a negative emotional state

Fig. 7

a, b Serum CORT levels after PSS (b; n = 6, 5, and 6 mice). In (b), One-way ANOVA (F(2,14) = 14.634, p < 0.001) was followed by Fisher LSD post hoc test for multiple comparisons; ***p < 0.001, †††p < 0.001 compared with mice at 0.5 h. c Representative image of FISH for Penk and GR in the LH, replicated independently with similar results in 3 mice. Scale bars, 250 μm. d Enlarged views of regions in the white boxes showing in (c), replicated independently with similar results in 3 mice. Scale bars, 50 μm. Arrowheads represent colocalization (top). Bar charts indicate % of Penk+ or GR + LH neurons colocalizing with GR or Penk, respectively (bottom). e Schematic for the microinjection of vehicle or mifepristone into the LH followed by systemic injections. f Images show the ___location of the cannula tips in the LH, replicated independently with similar results in 6 mice. Scale bars, 1 mm (top) and 250 μm (bottom). g, h 2.5 h food consumption (n = 8, 9, 6, and 11 mice). In (g), one-way ANOVA (F(3,30) = 10.336, p < 0.001) was followed by Fisher LSD post hoc test for multiple comparisons; ***p < 0.001 compared with mice received veh only; ††p = 0.007, †††p < 0.001 compared with mice received veh (μ-injection) and CORT (s.c). i Schematic for the bilateral injection of AAV-DIO-GR into the LH, followed by implantation of cannula. j Representative images of FISH for Penk and GR in the LH of Penk-Cre mice expressing DIO-eGFP (top) and DIO-GR (bottom). Arrowheads represent colocalization, replicated independently with similar results in 2 mice. Scale bars, 10 μm. k 2.5 h HFD consumption test (n = 7, 7, 6, and 6 mice). One-way ANOVA (F(3,22) = 5.149, p = 0.008) was followed by Fisher LSD post hoc test for multiple comparisons; **p = 0.004, **p = 0.004 compared with DIO-eGFP mice received veh (μ-injection) and CORT (s.c.); †p = 0.045, #p = 0.047 compared with DIO-GR mice received Mife (μ-injection) and CORT (s.c). l, m Example in vivo Ca2+ traces in response to HFD eating. Light blue dashed areas indicate eating bouts. n Mean z-score of the LHPenk neuronal activity in veh- (n = 51 cells from 5 mice) or CORT-treated mice (n = 68 cells from 5 mice). Two-way RM ANOVA (F(1,116) = 6.141, p = 0.015) was followed by Bonferroni post hoc test for multiple comparisons; ***p < 0.001, †p = 0.021 compared with CORT-treated mice after 1st HFD eating bout; p = 0.27 for veh-treated mice before vs. after 1st HFD eating bout. n.s not significant. Data are presented as mean ± SEM.

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