TY - JOUR
T1 - The distribution of cells containing estrogen receptor- α (ERα) and ERβ messenger ribonucleic acid in the preoptic area and hypothalamus of the sheep
T2 - Comparison of males and females
AU - Scott, Christopher J.
AU - Tilbrook, Alan J.
AU - Simmons, Donna M.
AU - Rawson, John A.
AU - Chu, Simon
AU - Fuller, Peter J.
AU - Ing, Nancy H.
AU - Clarke, Iain J.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - We have used in situ hybridization to compare the distributions of estrogen receptor α (ERα) and ERβ messenger RNA (mRNA)-containing cells in the preoptic area and hypothalamus of ewes and rams. Perfusion-fixed brain tissue was collected from luteal phase ewes and intact rams (n = 4) during the breeding season. Matched pairs of sections were hybridized with sheep-specific, 35S-labeled riboprobes, and semiquantitative image analysis was performed on emulsion-dipped slides. A number of sex differences were observed, with females having a greater density of labeled cells than males (P <0.001) and a greater number of silver grains per cell (P <0.01) in the ventromedial nucleus for both ER subtypes. In addition, in the retrochiasmatic area, males had a greater (P <0.05) cell density for ERα mRNA-containing cells than females, whereas in the paraventricular nucleus, females had a greater density (P <0.05) of ERα mRNA-containing cells than males. There was a trend (P = 0.068) in the arcuate nucleus for males to have a greater number of silver grains per cell labeled for ERα mRNA. In both sexes, there was considerable overlap in the distributions of ERα and ERβ mRNA-containing cells, but the density of labeled cells within each nucleus differed in a number of instances. Nuclei that contained a higher (P <0.001) density of ERα than ERβ mRNA-containing cells included the preoptic area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and ventromedial nucleus, whereas the subfornical organ (P <0.001), paraventricular nucleus (males only, P <0.05), and retrochiasmatic nucleus (females only, (P <0.05) had a greater density of ERα than ERβ mRNA-containing cells. The anterior hypothalamic area and supraoptic nucleus had similar densities of cells containing both ER subtypes. The lateral septum and arcuate nucleus contained only ERα, whereas only ERβ mRNA-containing cells were seen in the zona incerta. The sex differences in the populations of ER mRNA-containing cells in the ventromedial and arcuate nuclei may explain in part the sex differences in the neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to localized estrogen treatment in these nuclei. Within sexes, the differences between the distributions of ERα and ERβ mRNA-containing cells may reflect differential regulation of the actions of estrogen in the sheep hypothalamus. Low levels of ERβ mRNA in the preoptic area and ventromedial and arcuate nuclei, regions known to be important for the regulation of reproduction, suggest that ERβ may not be involved in these functions.
AB - We have used in situ hybridization to compare the distributions of estrogen receptor α (ERα) and ERβ messenger RNA (mRNA)-containing cells in the preoptic area and hypothalamus of ewes and rams. Perfusion-fixed brain tissue was collected from luteal phase ewes and intact rams (n = 4) during the breeding season. Matched pairs of sections were hybridized with sheep-specific, 35S-labeled riboprobes, and semiquantitative image analysis was performed on emulsion-dipped slides. A number of sex differences were observed, with females having a greater density of labeled cells than males (P <0.001) and a greater number of silver grains per cell (P <0.01) in the ventromedial nucleus for both ER subtypes. In addition, in the retrochiasmatic area, males had a greater (P <0.05) cell density for ERα mRNA-containing cells than females, whereas in the paraventricular nucleus, females had a greater density (P <0.05) of ERα mRNA-containing cells than males. There was a trend (P = 0.068) in the arcuate nucleus for males to have a greater number of silver grains per cell labeled for ERα mRNA. In both sexes, there was considerable overlap in the distributions of ERα and ERβ mRNA-containing cells, but the density of labeled cells within each nucleus differed in a number of instances. Nuclei that contained a higher (P <0.001) density of ERα than ERβ mRNA-containing cells included the preoptic area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and ventromedial nucleus, whereas the subfornical organ (P <0.001), paraventricular nucleus (males only, P <0.05), and retrochiasmatic nucleus (females only, (P <0.05) had a greater density of ERα than ERβ mRNA-containing cells. The anterior hypothalamic area and supraoptic nucleus had similar densities of cells containing both ER subtypes. The lateral septum and arcuate nucleus contained only ERα, whereas only ERβ mRNA-containing cells were seen in the zona incerta. The sex differences in the populations of ER mRNA-containing cells in the ventromedial and arcuate nuclei may explain in part the sex differences in the neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to localized estrogen treatment in these nuclei. Within sexes, the differences between the distributions of ERα and ERβ mRNA-containing cells may reflect differential regulation of the actions of estrogen in the sheep hypothalamus. Low levels of ERβ mRNA in the preoptic area and ventromedial and arcuate nuclei, regions known to be important for the regulation of reproduction, suggest that ERβ may not be involved in these functions.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034463143&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1210/en.141.8.2951
DO - 10.1210/en.141.8.2951
M3 - Article
C2 - 10919284
AN - SCOPUS:0034463143
SN - 0013-7227
VL - 141
SP - 2951
EP - 2962
JO - Endocrinology
JF - Endocrinology
IS - 8
ER -
