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Research Paper|Volume 7, Issue 3|pp 195—204

Gene expression of key regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis is sex dependent in mice with growth hormone receptor deletion in liver

Ilona Zawada1, Michal M. Masternak2,3, Edward O. List4,5, Michael B. Stout6, Darlene E. Berryman4,7,8, Andrzej Lewinski9,10, John J. Kopchick4,8, Andrzej Bartke11, Malgorzata Karbownik-Lewinska1,10, Adam Gesing1,11
  • 1Department of Oncological Endocrinology, Medical University of Lodz, 90-752 Lodz, Poland
  • 2College of Medicine, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
  • 3Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, 61-866 Poznan, Poland
  • 4Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
  • 5Department of Specialty Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
  • 6Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
  • 7School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness, College of Health Sciences and Professions, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
  • 8Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
  • 9Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Medical University of Lodz, 93-338 Lodz, Poland
  • 10Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital – Research Institute, 93-338 Lodz, Poland
  • 11Department of Internal Medicine, Geriatrics Research, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62794, USA
Received: February 11, 2015Accepted: March 24, 2015Published: March 30, 2015
https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.100733

Copyright: © 2015 Zawada et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract

Mitochondrial biogenesis is an essential process for cell viability. Mice with disruption of the growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene (Ghr gene) in the liver (LiGHRKO), in contrast to long-lived mice with global deletion of the Ghr gene (GHRKO), are characterized by lack of improved insulin sensitivity and severe hepatic steatosis. Tissue-specific disruption of the GHR in liver results in a mouse model with dramatically altered GH/IGF1 axis. We have previously shown increased levels of key regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis in insulin-sensitive GHRKO mice. The aim of the present study is to assess, using real-time PCR, the gene expression of key regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis (Pgc1α, Ampk, Sirt1, Nrf2 and Mfn2) and a marker of mitochondrial activity (CoxIV) in brains, kidneys and livers of male and female LiGHRKO and wild-type (WT) mice. There were significant differences between males and females. In the brain, expression of Pgc1α, Ampk, Sirt1, Nrf2 and Mfn2 was lower in pooled females compared to pooled males. In the kidneys, expression of Ampk and Sirt1 was also lower in female mice. In the liver, no differences between males and females were observed. Sexual dimorphism may play an important role in regulating the biogenesis of mitochondria.