AUTHOR=Camerino Claudia , Conte Elena , Caloiero Roberta , Fonzino Adriano , Carratù Mariarosaria , Lograno Marcello D. , Tricarico Domenico 

TITLE=Evaluation of Short and Long Term Cold Stress Challenge of Nerve Grow Factor, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Osteocalcin and Oxytocin mRNA Expression in BAT, Brain, Bone and Reproductive Tissue of Male Mice Using Real-Time PCR and Linear Correlation Analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.01101

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2017.01101

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=<p>The correlation between the <italic>Ngf/p75ntr-Ntrk1</italic> and <italic>Bdnf</italic>, Osteocalcin-<italic>Ost</italic>/<italic>Gprc6a</italic> and Oxytocin-<italic>Oxt/Oxtr</italic> genes, was challenged investigating their mRNA levels in 3 months-old mice after cold-stress (CS). Uncoupling protein-1 (<italic>Ucp-1)</italic> was used as positive control. Control mice were maintained at room temperature T = 25°C, CS mice were maintained at T = 4°C for 6 h and 5-days (<italic>N</italic> = 15 mice). RT-PCR experiments showed that <italic>Ucp-1</italic> and <italic>Ngf</italic> genes were up-regulated after 6 h CS in brown adipose tissues (BAT), respectively, by 2 and 1.5-folds; <italic>Ucp-1</italic> was upregulated also after 5-days, while <italic>Ngfr (p75ntr)</italic> and <italic>Ntrk1</italic> genes were downregulated after 6 h and 5-days CS in BAT. <italic>NGF</italic> and <italic>P75NTR</italic> were upregulated in bone and testis following 5-days, and <italic>P75NTR</italic> in testis after 6 h CS. <italic>Bdnf</italic> was instead up-regulated in bone following 5-days CS and down-regulated in testis. <italic>OST</italic> was upregulated by 16 and 3-fold in bone and BAT, respectively, following 5-days CS. <italic>Gprc6a</italic> was upregulated after 6 h in brain, while <italic>Bglap</italic> (<italic>Ost)</italic> gene was downregulated. <italic>Oxt</italic> gene was upregulated by 5-fold following 5-days CS in bone. <italic>Oxtr</italic> was upregulated by 0.5 and 0.3-fold, respectively, following 6 h and 5-days CS in brain. <italic>Oxtr</italic> and <italic>Oxt</italic> were downregulated in testis and in BAT. The changes in the expression levels of control genes vs. genes following 6 h and 5-days CS were correlated in all tissues, but not in BAT. Correlation in BAT was improved eliminating <italic>Ngfr (p75ntr)</italic> data. The correlation in brain was lost eliminating <italic>Oxtr</italic> data. In sum, <italic>Ucp-1</italic> potentiation in BAT after cold stress is associated with early <italic>Ngf</italic>-response in the same tissue and trophic action in bone and testis. In contrast, BDNF exerts bone and neuroprotective effects. Similarly to <italic>Ucp-1, Bglap</italic> (<italic>Ost)</italic> signaling is enhanced in bone and BAT while it may exert local neuroprotective effects thought its receptor. <italic>Ngfr (p75ntr)</italic> regulates the adaptation to CS through a feed-back loop in BAT. <italic>Oxtr</italic> regulates the gene-response to CS through a feed-forward loop in brain. Overall these results expand the understanding of the physiology of these molecules under metabolic thermogenesis.</p>