Gene expression profile of astrocytes derived from the cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus of mice fed with standard chow (SC) or high-fat high-sugar (HFHS) diet

Astrocytes exhibit a high molecular diversity within the same, as well as across different brain regions. Moreover, astrocytes are characterized by a region-specific role in the regulation of neuronal circuitries, which might be affected by specific diseases. Regarding metabolic control, selective perturbations in astrocytes trigger multiple alterations in energy balance and glucose homeostasis. Using RNA sequencing, we showed that astrocytes have a distinct transcriptomic profile dependent on their anatomical location in the brain, which is affected by hypercaloric diet. Overall design: C57BL/6JRj mice were exposed to a SC or a HFHS (58%) diet at 8-9 weeks of age for 4 months. Afterwards, hypothalami, hippocampi, and half cortices derived from 2 animals were isolated and pooled together in distinct tubes. A number of 5-7 replicates per each group was used. ACSA2+ astrocytes were isolated from each sample by magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS), and further processed for RNA-Sequencing analysis.