Evaluation of Short and Long Term Cold Stress Challenge of Nerve Grow Factor, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Osteocalcin and Oxytocin mRNA Expression in BAT, Brain, Bone and Reproductive Tissue of Male Mice Using Real-Time PCR and Linear Correlation Analysis.

The correlation between the and , Osteocalcin-/ and Oxytocin- genes, was challenged investigating their mRNA levels in 3 months-old mice after cold-stress (CS). Uncoupling protein-1 ( was used as positive control. Control mice were maintained at room temperature T = 25°C, CS mice were maintained at T = 4°C for 6 h and 5-days ( = 15 mice). RT-PCR experiments showed that and genes were up-regulated after 6 h CS in brown adipose tissues (BAT), respectively, by 2 and 1.5-folds; was upregulated also after 5-days, while and genes were downregulated after 6 h and 5-days CS in BAT. and were upregulated in bone and testis following 5-days, and in testis after 6 h CS. was instead up-regulated in bone following 5-days CS and down-regulated in testis. was upregulated by 16 and 3-fold in bone and BAT, respectively, following 5-days CS. was upregulated after 6 h in brain, while ( gene was downregulated. gene was upregulated by 5-fold following 5-days CS in bone. was upregulated by 0.5 and 0.3-fold, respectively, following 6 h and 5-days CS in brain. and were downregulated in testis and in BAT. The changes in the expression levels of control genes vs. genes following 6 h and 5-days CS were correlated in all tissues, but not in BAT. Correlation in BAT was improved eliminating data. The correlation in brain was lost eliminating data. In sum, potentiation in BAT after cold stress is associated with early -response in the same tissue and trophic action in bone and testis. In contrast, BDNF exerts bone and neuroprotective effects. Similarly to ( signaling is enhanced in bone and BAT while it may exert local neuroprotective effects thought its receptor. regulates the adaptation to CS through a feed-back loop in BAT. regulates the gene-response to CS through a feed-forward loop in brain. Overall these results expand the understanding of the physiology of these molecules under metabolic thermogenesis.