| First Author | Srour N | Year | 2023 |
| Journal | Neuroscience | Volume | 530 |
| Pages | 95-107 | PubMed ID | 37619768 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:341184 | Mgi Id | MGI:7532476 |
| Doi | 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.08.024 | Citation | Srour N, et al. (2023) Electrophysiological Comparison of Definitive Pro-opiomelanocortin Neurons in the Arcuate Nucleus and the Retrochiasmatic Area of Male and Female Mice. Neuroscience 530:95-107 |
| abstractText | Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-expressing neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC) are considered a major site of leptin action. Due to increasing evidence that POMC neurons are highly heterogeneous and indications that the conventional molecular tools to study their functions have important limitations, a reassessment of leptin's effects on definitive POMC neurons is needed. POMC neurons are also expressed in the retrochiasmatic area (RCA), where their function is poorly understood. Furthermore, the response of POMC neurons to leptin in females is largely unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the differences in leptin responsiveness of POMC neurons in the ARC and the RCA using a mouse model allowing adult-inducible fluorescent labeling. We performed whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology on 154 POMC neurons from male and female mice. We confirmed and extended the model by which leptin depolarizes POMC neurons, in both the ARC and the RCA. Furthermore, we characterized the electrophysiological properties of an underappreciated subpopulation representing approximately 10% of hypothalamic POMC neurons that are inhibited by leptin. We also provide evidence that sex does not appear to be a major determinant of basal properties and leptin responsiveness of POMC neurons, but that females are overall less responsive to leptin compared to males. |
