Androgen receptor actions on AgRP neurons are not a major cause of reproductive and metabolic impairments in peripubertally androgenized mice

© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Neuroendocrinology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Society for Neuroendocrinology..

Excess levels of circulating androgens during prenatal or peripubertal development are an important cause of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), with the brain being a key target. Approximately half of the women diagnosed with PCOS also experience metabolic syndrome; common features including obesity, insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Although a large amount of clinical and preclinical evidence has confirmed this relationship between androgens and the reproductive and metabolic features of PCOS, the mechanisms by which androgens cause this dysregulation are unknown. Neuron-specific androgen receptor knockout alleviates some PCOS-like features in a peripubertal dihydrotestosterone (DHT) mouse model, but the specific neuronal populations mediating these effects are undefined. A candidate population is the agouti-related peptide (AgRP)-expressing neurons, which are important for both reproductive and metabolic function. We used a well-characterised peripubertal androgenized mouse model and Cre-loxP transgenics to investigate whether deleting androgen receptors specifically from AgRP neurons can alleviate the induced reproductive and metabolic dysregulation. Androgen receptors were co-expressed in 66% of AgRP neurons in control mice, but only in <2% of AgRP neurons in knockout mice. The number of AgRP neurons was not altered by the treatments. Only 20% of androgen receptor knockout mice showed rescue of DHT-induced androgen-induced anovulation and acyclicity. Furthermore, androgen receptor knockout did not rescue metabolic dysfunction (body weight, adiposity or glucose and insulin tolerance). While we cannot rule out developmental compensation in our model, these results suggest peripubertal androgen excess does not markedly influence Agrp expression and does not dysregulate reproductive and metabolic function through direct actions of androgens onto AgRP neurons.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:36

Enthalten in:

Journal of neuroendocrinology - 36(2024), 3 vom: 27. März, Seite e13370

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Kerbus, Romy I [VerfasserIn]
Decourt, Caroline [VerfasserIn]
Inglis, Megan A [VerfasserIn]
Campbell, Rebecca E [VerfasserIn]
Anderson, Greg M [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

08J2K08A3Y
AR protein, mouse
AgRP neurons
Agouti-Related Protein
Androgen excess
Androgens
Dihydrotestosterone
Journal Article
Metabolism
PCOS
Peptides
Receptors, Androgen
Reproduction

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 08.03.2024

Date Revised 11.03.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1111/jne.13370

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM36834990X