Deletion of Androgen Receptor in LepRb Cells Improves Estrous Cycles in Prenatally Androgenized Mice

Androgens are steroid hormones crucial for sexual differentiation of the brain and reproductive function. In excess, however, androgens may decrease fertility as observed in polycystic ovary syndrome, a common endocrine disorder characterized by oligo/anovulation and/or polycystic ovaries. Hyperandrogenism may also disrupt energy homeostasis, inducing higher central adiposity, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance, which may exacerbate reproductive dysfunction. Androgens bind to androgen receptors (ARs), which are expressed in many reproductive and metabolic tissues, including brain sites that regulate the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis and energy homeostasis. The neuronal populations affected by androgen excess, however, have not been defined. We and others have shown that, in mice, AR is highly expressed in leptin receptor (LepRb) neurons, particularly in the arcuate (ARH) and the ventral premammillary nuclei (PMv). Here, we assessed if LepRb neurons, which are critical in the central regulation of energy homeostasis and exert permissive actions on puberty and fertility, have a role in the pathogenesis of female hyperandrogenism. Prenatally androgenized (PNA) mice lacking AR in LepRb cells (LepRbΔAR) show no changes in body mass, body composition, glucose homeostasis, or sexual maturation. They do show, however, a remarkable improvement of estrous cycles combined with normalization of ovary morphology compared to PNA controls. Our findings indicate that the prenatal androgenization effects on adult reproductive physiology (ie, anestrus and anovulation) are mediated by a subpopulation of LepRb neurons directly sensitive to androgens. They also suggest that the effects of hyperandrogenism on sexual maturation and reproductive function in adult females are controlled by distinct neural circuits.