Skip to main content
. 2024 Dec 30;15:10725. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-54737-6

Fig. 4. Rapid E2 signaling in the BNST recapitulates the pro-drinking but not anxiolytic effects of ovarian E2 and modulates BNSTCRF neurons.

Fig. 4

a Systemic E2 synthesis inhibition in high ovarian E2 mice using the aromatase inhibitor letrozole (LET, 10 mg/kg; Biorender license: UM27GVZ81B). b Effects of LET administration on EtOH consumption (N’s = 13 saline VEH, 19 LET; Biorender license: VB27JLIIQ2). c Effects of LET administration on elevated plus maze (EPM) % time spent in the open arms (left) or distance traveled (right; N’s = 15 VEH, 14 LET). d Intra-BNST infusion of LET (1 μg in 200 nl/side) in high E2 status females. e Effects of intra-BNST LET on EtOH consumption (N’s = 7 VEH, 6 LET). f Intra-BNST infusion of E2 (20 pg in 200 nl/side) or membrane-impermeable E2 (mE2, 55 pg in 200 nl/side) in low E2 status females (Biorender license: BF27GVZGF6). g Effects of intra-BNST E2 on EtOH consumption (N’s = 8 VEH, 7 E2). h Effects of intra-BNST mE2 on EtOH consumption (N’s = 12 VEH, 11 mE2). i Effects of intra-BNST E2 on EPM % time spent in the open arms (left) or distance traveled (right; N’s = 7 VEH, 8 E2). j Effects of bath application of E2/mE2 on excitatory synaptic transmission in BNSTCRF neurons during slice electrophysiology recordings in low ovarian E2 status female CRF-CrexAi9 reporters (Biorender license: JF27GVZUJE). k Spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) maximum delta from % baseline during E2/mE2 wash on (E2 nM: 0.01: N = 2, 2 cells; 1: N = 4, 4 cells; 10: N = 5, 7 cells; 100: N = 4, 4 cells; 1000: N = 3, 5 cells; 100 nM mE2: N = 3, 6 cells; l and m are the same cells). l Time course of BNSTCRF neurons that displayed increase/decrease/no change in sEPSC frequency and amplitude (m) % change from baseline during E2 application and proportion of responding categories (pie charts). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 for unpaired t-tests between VEH vs. LET treatment and VEH vs E2/mE2 treatment; Fisher’s exact test frequency vs amplitude; post hoc t-tests with H-S corrections as indicated. Data are presented as mean values +/−SEM. Detailed statistics are provided in Supplementary Table 1. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.