Dashiel M. Siegel

Susceptibility of Glucose Regulation to Social Isolation

This study shows that social isolation causes fasting hyperglycemia in male mice, which is mediated by testicular hormones and glucoregulatory brain neurons, but not in females.

Reducing neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) increases body weight and blood glucose levels while decreasing physical activity in female mice.

The paper reduces nNOS in VMH of female mice and observes increased body weight, blood glucose, and reduced activity, contradicting the hypothesis about orexin neuron inhibition.