Persona: García Úbeda, Rocío
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Publicación Early androgen activity after birth determines the hypothalamic expression of androgen and estrogen receptors in adulthood in female but not in male rats(BioMed Central, 2025-07-07) García Úbeda, Rocío; Fernández García, José Manuel; Primo Chulvi, Ulises; Grassi, Daniela; Ballesta, Antonio; Arévalo, María Ángeles; Collado, Paloma; Pinos Sánchez, María Elena; Carrillo Urbano, Beatriz; MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA E INNOVACION (España)Gonadal steroids are involved in the organization and programming of several neural systems. The main objective of this study was to determine whether androgen activity in the early postnatal stage influenced the long-term expression of androgen and estrogen receptors in the hypothalamus. Androgen receptors (AR) and the main metabolic pathways of testosterone were inhibited using Flutamide, an AR inhibitor, Letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, or Finasteride, a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor, during the first five days of life in male and female Wistar rats. Hypothalamic hormonal receptors AR, and estradiol receptors (ER)α, and ERβ were analyzed by qPCR, and circulating hormone levels (testosterone, DHT, and estradiol) were measured using ELISA assay at P90. The inhibition of AR, 5α-reductase or aromatase did not alter the hypothalamic levels of hormone receptors in males. However, in females, blocking the androgen receptor increased the ERβ, while the inhibition of 5α-reductase decreased the ERα and the inhibition of aromatase increased AR and ERβ hypothalamic mRNA levels. Moreover, testosterone plasma levels decreased significantly in females independent of whether the AR, 5α-reductase, or aromatase were inhibited. However, only the inhibition of aromatase decreased circulating testosterone levels in males. Furthermore, higher plasma testosterone and DHT levels were detected in males compared to females. Our results highlight the influence of androgen activity during the first days of life in females on the long-term expression of androgen and estrogen receptors in the hypothalamus, which reaffirms the importance of studying both sexes to accurately explain the processes that determine the programming of neural systems during development.Publicación Prenatal Low-Protein and Low-Calorie Diets Differentially Alter Arcuate Nucleus Morphology in Newborn Male Rats(Frontiers Media, 2022-06) Blanco, Noemí; Fernández García, José Manuel; Carrillo Urbano, Beatriz; Ballesta, Antonio; García Úbeda, Rocío; Collado Guirao, Paloma; Pinos Sánchez, María ElenaBackground: Malnutrition during the early stages of development produces alterations that can compromise the functioning of the hypothalamic circuits that regulate food intake. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects that a low-protein and low-calorie diet has on the morphology of the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus in newborn male and female rats. Methods: On gestational day 6 (G6), six pregnant rats were divided into two groups. One group was made up of three pregnant rats, which were fed ad libitum with a control diet (20% casein), and the other one was made up of three pregnant rats, which were fed ad libitum with a low-protein diet (8% casein) and 30% of a calorie-restricted diet. On the day of birth, pups were sacrificed, resulting in four experimental groups: control male, control female, low-protein and low-calorie diet male, and low-protein and low-calorie diet female (n = 5 in each group). The volume and number of neurons, together with the neuronal density and number of apoptotic cells, were measured. Results: Males on a low-protein and low-calorie diet showed a significant increase in the number of neurons and in the neuronal density of the ARC with regard to the rest of the groups studied. These increases were also reflected in the posterior part of the nucleus. Although the existence of sexual dimorphism was not detected in any of the parameters studied in the control groups, the number of neurons and neuronal density showed differences between males and females fed with a low-protein and low-calorie diets due to the increase in the number of neurons shown by the male. No significant differences were found in the number of apoptotic cells. Conclusion: Our results show that a low-protein and low-calorie diet during the prenatal stage produces alterations in the ARC of the hypothalamus in newborn animals and, more importantly, that the effects of malnutrition are evident in males but not in females. Therefore, it is essential to follow a balanced diet during the early stages of life to ensure optimal development of the neural circuits that regulate eating.Publicación Activity-based anorexia alters hypothalamic POMC and orexin populations in male rats(Elsevier, 2022-08-11) Sánchez Serrano, Ricardo; Carrillo Urbano, Beatriz; Fernández García, José Manuel; García Úbeda, Rocío; Paz Regidor, Ana María de; López Tolsa Gómez, Gabriela Eugenia; Vidal García, Pedro; Gutiérrez Ferre, Valeria Edith; Pellón Suárez de Puga, Ricardo; Collado Guirao, Paloma; Pinos Sánchez, María ElenaThe objective of this study was to investigate the orexin and POMC populations in the hypothalamic nuclei of male Wistar rats after the activity-based anorexia (ABA) procedure. Four groups were established based on food restriction and activity: activity (A), ABA, diet (D) and control (C). The ABA protocol consisted of free access to a running wheel for a period of 22 h and access to food for 1 h. When the animals in the ABA group reached the ABA criterion, were sacrificed, and their brains were collected and serially sectioned. The free-floating sections were processed for orexin and POMC immunostaining. The number of orexin A-ir cells in the perifornical-dorsomedial-hypothalamus continuum (PFD) and lateral hypothalamus (LH) and the number of POMC-ir cells in the arcuate nucleus (Arc) were estimated. Data on food intake, body weight and wheel turns were also analyzed. The ABA procedure caused a significant decrease in body weight along with a significant increase in activity. Moreover, at the end of the ABA procedure, the number of POMC-ir cells decreased in the Arc in the A group, and significantly more in the ABA group, and the number of orexin A-ir positive cells decreased in the LH in D and ABA groups. The differential decrease in POMC in the ABA group emphasizes the importance of the melanocortin system in the maintenance of ABA, but more research is needed to elucidate the involvement of this peptide in the mechanism that promotes and maintains anorexia nervosa and how increased activity may interact with all these processes.