Figure 3.

A, Overall reduction in the percentages of cells immunolabeled for LEPRb (the long form of the receptor) in cell populations from mutant males and diestrous females (n = 15–25). A star indicates significantly lower than controls, P < .0001. B, Field from a normal male mouse, showing the dense gray-black labeling for LEPRb (arrows). Unlabeled cells are pale gray. C, Reduced expression in the population from mutant male mice. Scale bar, 20 μm. D and F, Dual-labeling for LEPRb (black, arrows) and LH (orange) in fields from control (D) or mutant (E) mice. F and G, Dual-labeled LEPRb (black)-FSH (orange) cells from control (F) or mutant (G) male mice. In control and mutant fields, one must visualize the labeling in a through-focus series to detect the site of the peripheral labeling for LEPRb. In the case of the controls, the light micrographs in 1 focal plane do not depict peripheral labeling in several of the LH or FSH cells, which is out of the focal plane. Scale bar, 10 μm. H, Graph of percentages of each pituitary cells taken from counts of cells dual-labeled for LEPRb and each of the pituitary hormones (n = 9) in male mice. There are no changes in percentages of each cell type in these male mutants (Mut). Also, there are no changes in expression of LEPRb by TSH, Prl, and ACTH cells. There are 80% reductions (P < .0001) in LH or FSH cells with LEPRb and a 9% reduction (P = .006) in GH cells with LEPRb (stars). Con, controls.