FIGURE 5.

POMC homeostasis is dysregulated in NULL mice. (A) Representative Nomarski images of POMC immunofluorescence and quantifications in hypothalamic slices of WT or NULL in the absence/presence of leptin. Scale bars = 1 mm. N = 3 mice/genotype/experimental condition. (B) Representative Western visualizations of POMC protein in the hypothalami of 4 weeks old WT and NULL mice in the absence/presence of leptin and in the hypothalami of 24 weeks old WT and NULL mice in the absence of leptin. N = 2–8 mice/genotype/experimental condition. (C) Densitometric quantification of POMC protein in the hypothalami of 4 and 24 week‐old WT or NULL mice in the absence of leptin. (D) Densitometric ratio between POMC protein in the presence (POMC_L) and absence (POMC_V) of leptin in the hypothalami of 4 weeks old WT and NULL mice. Western blot loading controls were actin and Bradford colorimetric assay. Animals were injected with either vehicle or 1.0 mg/kg body weight leptin and sacrificed 90 min later. *p < .05, ***p < .001, ****p < .0001 (Kruskal‐Wallis test and post hoc; one‐way ANOVA and Šídák's multiple comparisons test).