Sex-specific acclimation of A2 noradrenergic neuron dopamine-β-hydroxylase and estrogen receptor variant protein and 5'-AMP-Activated protein kinase reactivity to recurring hypoglycemia in rat.

Hindbrain estrogen receptors (ER) impose sex-dimorphic control of counter-regulatory hormone and hypothalamic glucoregulatory transmitter and glycogen metabolic responses to hypoglycemia. A2 noradrenergic neurons are estradiol- and metabolic-sensitive. Estradiol controls dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) protein habituation to recurrent insulin-induced hypoglycemia (RIIH) in females. Current research investigated the premise that sex-dimorphic patterns of A2 ER variant acclimation to RIIH correlate with differential A2 DBH and 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) adaptation to RIIH. A2 neurons were laser-catapult-microdissected from male and female rats after one or four insulin injections for Western blot analysis. A2 pAMPK and DBH levels were increased in males, but suppressed in females after single insulin dosing. ER-alpha (ERα) and -beta (ERβ) protein profiles were unaffected or decreased by acute hypoglycemia in each sex, whereas G protein-linked ER-1 (GPER) reactivity varied by sex. Antecedent hypoglycemia diminished basal A2 ERα/GPER and elevated ERβ content in each sex, yet reduced pAMPK and DBH levels in female rats only. Reintroduced hypoglycemia suppressed A2 ERβ levels in each sex, but altered DBH (↓), ERα (↓), and GPER (↑) levels in males only. Data document sex differences in A2 DBH adaptation to RIIH, e.g. a shift from positive-to-negative response in males versus loss of negative reactivity in females, as well as attenuated AMPK activation in both sexes. Between hypoglycemic episodes, A2 neurons in each sex likely exhibit diminished sensitivity to ERα/GPER signaling, but heightened receptivity to ERβ input. RIIH-induced changes in ERα and GPER expression in male but not female may contribute to DBH suppression (males) versus no change (females) relative to adapted baseline expression.