Estradiol increases the anorexia associated with increased 5-HT2C receptor activation in ovariectomized rats

Estradiol's inhibitory effect on food intake is mediated, in part, by its ability to increase the activity of meal-related signals, including serotonin (5-HT), which hastens satiation. The important role that postsynaptic 5-HT2C receptors play in mediating 5-HT's anorexigenic effect prompted us to investigate whether a regimen of acute estradiol treatment increases the anorexia associated with increased 5-HT2C receptor activation in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. We demonstrated that intraperitoneal and intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of low doses of the 5-HT2C receptor agonist meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) decreased 1-h dark-phase food intake in estradiol-treated, but not oil-treated, OVX rats. During a longer feeding test, we demonstrated that i.c.v. administration of mCPP decreased 22-h food intake in oil-treated and, to a greater extent, estradiol-treated OVX rats. In a second study, we demonstrated that estradiol increased 5-HT2C receptor protein content in the caudal brainstem, but not hypothalamus, of OVX rats. We conclude that a physiologically-relevant regimen of acute estradiol treatment increases sensitivity to mCPP's anorexigenic effect. Our demonstration that this same regimen of estradiol treatment increases 5-HT2C receptor protein content in the caudal hindbrain of OVX rats provides a possible mechanism to explain our behavioral findings.

► Estradiol increases the anorexigenic effect of the 5-HT2C receptor agonist, mCPP. ► Estradiol increases 5-HT2C receptor protein in the caudal brainstem of OVX rats. ► Estradiol does not increase hypothalamic 5-HT2C receptor protein in OVX rats.