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. 2023 Feb 25;14:1098. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-36681-z

Fig. 1. Acute gonadotrope ablation induces metabolic disorders in female mice.

Fig. 1

a Illustration depicting the strategy to acutely ablate gonadotropes via the injection of diphtheria toxin (DT) in mice selectively expressing the diphtheria toxin receptor in gonadotropes. b Number of GFP-positive cells within the pituitaries of DT- or saline-injected GRIC/R26-iDTR/eR26-τGFP mice and a number of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or luteinizing hormone (LH) positive cells within the pituitaries of DT-injected Cre+ and Cre− (control) GRIC/R26-iDTR/eR26-τGFP mice. c Representative images of testes and female reproductive tracts from Cre+ and Cre− (control) GRIC/R26-iDTR/eR26-τGFP mice 2 months after DT injection. Body weight (d, g), glucose tolerance (e, h), insulin tolerance (f, i), and liver oil red O staining quantification (k) from gonadotrope-ablated (Cre+) and control (Cre−) female and male mice. j Representative images of liver oil red O staining from Cre+ GRIC/R26-iDTR/eR26-τGFP female mice 10 days or 2 months after DT injection (scale bars = 200 μm. Insets highlight the distribution of lipid droplets (filled arrowheads)). l Representative micro-computed tomography (μCT) images from gonadotrope-ablated (Cre+) and control (Cre−) female and male mice (filled arrowheads indicate lack of trabecular bone). m Anatomic sites for μCT bone measurements are indicated as blue (cortical bone) and red (trabecular bone) rectangles. Fractional bone volume (n), bone mineral density (o), and trabecular number (p) of trabecular bone from gonadotrope-ablated (Cre+) and control (Cre−) female and male mice. Error bars represent standard error mean. * = P < 0.05, ** = P < 0.01 and *** = P < 0.001. For statistical details, including individual p-values, see Supplementary Data 1. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.