Effects of age and long-term ovariectomy on the estrogen-receptor containing subpopulations of beta-endorphin-immunoreactive neurons in the arcuate nucleus of female C57BL/6J mice.
We have reported a decrease in the number of arcuate nucleus (ARC)-immunoreactive beta-endorphin neurons in old (24 months) female C57BL/6J mice versus young (5 months) mice. Here, we have tested by immunocytochemistry whether age-related changes in beta-endorphin neuron numbers are selective for beta-endorphin neurons which do or do not contain estrogen receptors (E2R). We also compared beta-endorphin neuron number in mice with short- (S) and long-duration (L) ovariectomy (OVX), since the latter may protect against neuroendocrine aging. Mice were studied at 5 (young), 12 (middle-aged), or 23-24 months (old). When the mean number of neurons per tissue section (15 sections per animal) was examined, there were no significant differences between young and middle-aged S-OVX females for either beta-endorphin, E2R, or beta-endorphin/E2R neuron number. However, there were significant decreases in beta-endorphin-containing neurons in the oldest age group versus young females (young S-OVX: 74.4 +/- 11 (+/- SD) immunopositive neurons per tissue section, n = 10 mice; young L-OVX: 61.6 +/- 6.9, n = 6; old S-OVX: 45.7 +/- 9.9, n = 7; and old L-OVX: 37.5 +/- 7.3, n = 7). There were also decreases in beta-endorphin neurons which contained E2R in the oldest animals (young S-OVX: 16.6 +/- 6.4; young L-OVX: 13.7 +/- 1.3; old S-OVX: 9.2 +/- 1.8; L-OVX: 6.0 +/- 1.5) (p < 0.05 ANOVA). Both age (p < or = 0.001, two-way ANOVA) and ovarian status (p < or = 0.05) independently affected neuron number for both the beta-endorphin and beta-endorphin/E2R populations versus young mice. We tested whether the observed age and/or ovarian-related decreases were proportionally greater in the subpopulation of beta-endorphin neurons which contained E2R compared to the total beta-endorphin neuron population. In the oldest age group, there was no significant difference in the decrease with age in the population of beta-endorphin neurons which contained E2R and the total beta-endorphin population (p = 0.208). When we examined the E2R neuron population as compared to the beta-endorphin neuron populations, age-related decreases in the beta-endorphin neuronal population tended to be greater than the decreases seen in the E2R neuron population (p = 0.054 repeated measures ANOVA). The tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) neuron population was studied to test whether there were changes in another ARC neuron population.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Miller
M M
MM
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Que., Canada.
Tousignant
P
P
Yang
U
U
Pedvis
S
S
Billiar
R B
RB
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001111:Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus / Q000166:cytology*; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000032:analysis*
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase