Fig. 2.

Virogenetic overexpression of AMPK in the arcuate nucleus delays puberty onset. In A, a schematic representation of the bilateral stereotaxic injection of viruses inducing overexpression of AMPK-CA in the ARC, is shown. Representative images, at two different magnifications, of bilateral targeting of the ARC, as denoted by fluorescein labeling, are also presented in B and C, while efficiency of adenoviral-mediated infection of ARC neurons by stereotaxic delivery is documented by GFP labeling, as shown in D. In addition, the impact of AMPK-CA overexpression on BW (E), the percentage of VO (F), and serum LH levels (as marker of activation of the reproductive axis) (G) is documented. Animals injected with viral vectors overexpressing only the marker, GFP, were used as controls. Due to coadministration of fluorescein isothiocyanate in both GFP and AMPK-CA–treated animals, the injection site was evaluated postmortem, and animals with evidence for off-target injections were not considered for further analyses. Final group sizes (i.e., animals with proper viral injections) were: control-GFP = 8 animals per group; AMPK-CA = 9 animals per group. *P < 0.05 vs. control-GFP group (Student t tests).