[HTML][HTML] Estrogens stimulate serotonin neurons to inhibit binge-like eating in mice

X Cao, P Xu, MG Oyola, Y Xia, X Yan… - The Journal of …, 2014 - Am Soc Clin Investig
X Cao, P Xu, MG Oyola, Y Xia, X Yan, K Saito, F Zou, C Wang, Y Yang, A Hinton, C Yan…
The Journal of clinical investigation, 2014Am Soc Clin Investig
Binge eating afflicts approximately 5% of US adults, though effective treatments are limited.
Here, we showed that estrogen replacement substantially suppresses binge-like eating
behavior in ovariectomized female mice. Estrogen-dependent inhibition of binge-like eating
was blocked in female mice specifically lacking estrogen receptor-α (ERα) in serotonin (5-
HT) neurons in the dorsal raphe nuclei (DRN). Administration of a recently developed
glucagon-like peptide-1–estrogen (GLP-1–estrogen) conjugate designed to deliver estrogen …
Binge eating afflicts approximately 5% of US adults, though effective treatments are limited. Here, we showed that estrogen replacement substantially suppresses binge-like eating behavior in ovariectomized female mice. Estrogen-dependent inhibition of binge-like eating was blocked in female mice specifically lacking estrogen receptor-α (ERα) in serotonin (5-HT) neurons in the dorsal raphe nuclei (DRN). Administration of a recently developed glucagon-like peptide-1–estrogen (GLP-1–estrogen) conjugate designed to deliver estrogen to GLP1 receptor–enhanced regions effectively targeted bioactive estrogens to the DRN and substantially suppressed binge-like eating in ovariectomized female mice. Administration of GLP-1 alone reduced binge-like eating, but not to the same extent as the GLP-1–estrogen conjugate. Administration of ERα-selective agonist propylpyrazole triol (PPT) to murine DRN 5-HT neurons activated these neurons in an ERα-dependent manner. PPT also inhibited a small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) current; blockade of the SK current prevented PPT-induced activation of DRN 5-HT neurons. Furthermore, local inhibition of the SK current in the DRN markedly suppressed binge-like eating in female mice. Together, our data indicate that estrogens act upon ERα to inhibit the SK current in DRN 5-HT neurons, thereby activating these neurons to suppress binge-like eating behavior and suggest ERα and/or SK current in DRN 5-HT neurons as potential targets for anti-binge therapies.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation