Figure 3From: Estrogens increase expression of bone morphogenetic protein 8b in brown adipose tissue of mice Independent of sex and presence of gonads, cold exposure induces BAT Fgf1 and Bmp8b expression. (A) Change in body weight and food intake of sham-operated and GDX’d male and female mice during exposure to 4°C or 23°C for 24 h. (B) Ucp1 mRNA expression in BAT of male and female mice upon GDX or sham operation and exposure to 4°C or 23°C for 24 h. (C) Immunoblot of UCP1 and α-tubulin and quantification of UCP1 protein vs. α-tubulin protein content in BAT of male and female mice upon GDX or sham operation and exposure to 4°C or 23°C for 24 h. UCP1 protein results were normalized with data from sham-operated male mice exposed to 23°C defined as ‘1’, n = 4. (D) Bmp8b and Fgf1 mRNA expression in BAT of male and female mice upon GDX or sham operation and exposure to 4°C or 23°C for 24 h. mRNA expression results were normalized to 18S ribosomal RNA (Rn18s) and beta-2 microglobulin (B2m) with data from sham-operated male mice exposed to 23°C defined as ‘1’. Values are averages ± SEM; n = 4–6; *p < 0.05 4°C vs. 23°C for the same animal model (Mann–Whitney U test); #p < 0.025 (Mann–Whitney U post hoc test when significance was detected by two-way ANOVA for mice exposed to 23°C); $p < 0.025 (Mann–Whitney U post hoc test when significance was detected by two-way ANOVA for mice exposed to 4°C). Depicted below the graphs are the significant p values of the two-way ANOVA tests for either (S), GDX (G), or the interaction between sex and GDX (SxG) for mice exposed to either 23°C or 4°C.Back to article page