# Bone morphogenetic protein 8B (BMP8B) increases the glucose sensitivity of ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) glucose-inhibited (GI) neurons in female mice

## TL;DR

BMP8B makes glucose-sensitive neurons in the brain more responsive to glucose in female mice, which may affect how the body manages energy.

## Contribution

The study reveals a sex-specific role of BMP8B in modulating glucose sensitivity of VMH neurons.

## Key findings

- More VMH nNOS neurons express the BMP8B receptor in females than in males.
- BMP8B reduces activation of VMH GI neurons in low glucose conditions.
- BMP8B's effects on VMH neurons may explain some of its metabolic impacts in females.

## Abstract

In female, but not male, mice, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 8B affects energy homeostasis by inhibiting AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). VMH glucose-inhibited (GI) neurons that express neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) increase blood glucose in an AMPK dependent fashion. We tested the hypothesis that BMP8B increases glucose inhibition on VMH nNOS-GI neurons. We found that more VMH nNOS neurons expressed the BMP8B receptor in females than males. Moreover, BMP8B blunted activation of VMH GI neurons in low glucose. Thus, VMH nNOS-GI neurons may mediate some of the metabolic effects of BMP8B in females.