Adipocyte sizes and white fat associated gene expression in the female ERα−/− mice after EPO treatment for 4 weeks on the HFD or NCD. Representative hematoxylin and eosin staining of gonadal fat pad sections (scale bar: 50 μm) from the WT and ERα−/− mice at 4 months on the HFD (A) and NCD (B). (C–F) Analysis of adipocyte cell sizes from the WT and ERα−/− gonadal fad pads at 4 months on the HFD (C–D) and NCD (E–F) by ImageJ. Symbols indicate the WT PBS (filled circle, solid line) and EPO (open square, dotted line)-treated mice and ERα−/− PBS (red filled triangle, solid line) and EPO (red open inverted triangle, dotted line)-treated mice. (G–J) Serum leptin (G) and adiponectin (I) levels in the 4-month-old WT and ERα−/− mice on the HFD and NCD (G, I) and leptin receptor gene (H) and adiponectin gene (J) expression levels by quantitative real-time PCR in inguinal fat pads of the 4-month-old WT and ERα−/− mice on the HFD. (n = 5–6/group, ∗p < 0.05, and ∗∗p < 0.01). (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)