Randomized trial investigates hypothalamic inflammation and chemokine profiles in male and female mice, suggesting marked hormonal effects.
Key Points
The study aims to understand how ovarian hormones and high-fat diet duration impact hypothalamic chemokine profiles and inflammation in male and female mice.
Male and female C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet for 1, 3, 14, or 28 days.
Ovariectomized females were analyzed with or without estrogen replacement to assess hormonal effects.
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to measure expression levels of chemokines and their receptors.
Chemokine levels in the hypothalamus showed transient modulation, with reduced levels in the acute phase and normalization during the chronic phase.
CXCR3 expression was significantly higher in females than in males after 14 and 28 days of high-fat diet exposure.
Ovarian hormone removal increased Cxcr3 and Ccl2 expression, with only Cxcr3 partially normalized by estradiol treatment.