Enhanced PIP₃ signaling in POMC neurons causes K_ATP channel activation and leads to diet-sensitive obesity
J. Clin. Invest. Leona Plum, et al. 116:1886 doi:10.1172/JCI27123 [Go to this article.]

Figure 5
Number, morphology, and projecting fibers of POMC neurons in control (white bars) and PPKO (black bars) mice. (A) Left: Immunohistochemical visualization of Cre-mediated β-gal expression in 12-week-old ND-fed male CO_Arte1 and PPKO_Arte1 reporter mice in the ARC. ME, median eminence; 3V, third ventricle. POMC cell counts in different regions of the ARC (center) and in the total ARC tissue (right) showed an unaltered number of POMC cells in PPKO mice (n = 3–4). (B)Ultrastructural characteristics of POMC neurons in female HFD-fed control and PPKO mice at the age of 11 weeks. N, nucleus. (C)Quantification of the POMC cell size in hypothalamic tissues of female HFD-fed control and PPKO mice at the age of 11 weeks (n = 26–28 POMC cells from 3 independent mice per genotype). (D)α-MSH staining of hypothalamic projecting fibers in the ARC and PVN of 20 week-old control and PPKO females on HFD. (E)Quantification of α-MSH content in projections of control and PPKO POMC neurons in 20 week-old control and PPKO females on HFD (n = 13–20 measurements from 4 control and 5 PPKO mice). Values are mean ± SEM. *P ≤ 0.05; ***P ≤ 0.001 versus control. Scale bars: 1 μm (B), 100 μm (D). Magnification, ×100 (A).