Recently, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and its new blockbuster class of analogs have emerged as powerful therapeutics to combat obesity and diabetes, with growing evidence for potential efficacy in addiction, depression, and other psychiatric conditions. Although metabolic diseases are common in both women and men, certain pathological and clinical features exhibit sex-specific differences, as do psychiatric disorders. Importantly, as part of a broader network of peptides and hormones regulating ingestive and reward-related behaviors, GLP-1 appears to have stronger effects on appetite suppression, glycemic regulation, and body weight loss in females compared with males-though sex differences in its psychiatric effects remain underexplored. We utilized RNAscope to create a comprehensive atlas of sex-specific (n = 3 per sex) GLP-1 expressing sites in the murine brain. Notably, in the hindbrain,densities and total numbers of-expressing neurons in the raphe obscurus nucleus, ventral and ventrolateral parts of the solitary nucleus were higher in females compared with males. In the olfactory bulb,densities were greater in the granular cell layer of males in comparison with females. Collectively, this atlas should serve as a resource to advance our understanding of GLP-1's central functions in both metabolic and psychiatric contexts. Glp1Glp1Glp1
GLP-1 Therapies