Fig. 9.

Estradiol treatment reduced nocturnal spontaneous meal size (A) and body weight gain (B) in ovariectomized control rats, but not in ovariectomized rats that received bilateral injections of adenovirus-vectored anti-ERα siRNA in the caudal medial nucleus of the solitary tract (cmNTS) (ERαKD; control rats received cmNTS injections of antiluciferase siRNA). Rats received subcutaneous injections of 2 μg estradiol benzoate (EB) or the oil vehicle (Oil) each 4th day. Meal sizes are averages of data from the cycle day of the estradiol treatment regimen that modeled estrus, from cycles 5–9; this day should reflect both the cyclic and the tonic effects of estradiol. Body weight gains are from surgery through cycle 9. *Significantly less than oil-treated rats that received the control siRNA (19, 20).