References

Lai BQ, Qiu XC, Zhang K, Zhang RY, Jin H, Li G, Shen HY, Wu JL, Ling EA, Zeng YS (2015) Cholera toxin b subunit shows transneuronal tracing after injection in an injured sciatic nerve. PLoS One 10(12):e0144030. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144030 PMID: 26640949

Related Products: Cholera Toxin B, Recombinant (Cat. #PR-14)

Chen Y, Pan C, Xuan A, Xu L, Bao G, Liu F, Fang J, Long D (2015) Treatment efficacy of NGF nanoparticles combining neural stem cell transplantation on Alzheimer’s Disease model rats. Med Sci Monit 21:3608-3615. doi: 10.12659/msm.894567

Summary: NSC (neural stem cell) transplants into animals have been shown to compensate for the loss of cholinergic cells in the basal forebrain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. One hurdle to overcome is the actuation of NSC differentiation into the specific replacement cells needed. NGF has been shown to induce this differentiation, but it has a very short half-life and does not permeate tissue very effectively. In this work the authors administered 5 mcl of icv 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01) to rats, followed by a graft of NCSs in the presence of NGF nanoparticles with a polymer coating. Rats receiving both NCSs and NGF nanoparticles showed significantly improved memory and learning functions as compared to control animals.

Related Products: 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01)

Boisvert EM, Engle SJ, Hallowell SE, Liu P, Wang ZW, Li XJ (2015) The specification and maturation of nociceptive neurons from human embryonic stem cells. Sci Rep 5:16821. doi: 10.1038/srep16821 PMID: 26581770

Usage: Immunocytochemistry 1:200

Related Products: NGFr (mu p75) Rabbit Polyclonal (Cat. #AB-N01)

Li T, Yu Y, Cai H (2015) Effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor-pretreated neuron stem cell transplantation on Alzheimer’s disease model mice. Int J Clin Exp Med 8:21947-21955.

Summary: In order to generate the AD mouse model, mu p75-SAP (1-1.2 μg/μL)  was injected to the bilateral icv areas.

Related Products: mu p75-SAP (Cat. #IT-16)

Helena C, Toporikova N, Kalil B, Stathopoulos A, Pogrebna V, Carolino R, Anselmo-Franci J, Bertram R (2015) KNDy neurons modulate the magnitude of the steroid-induced luteinizing hormone surges in ovariectomized rats. Endocrinology 156:4200-4213. doi: 10.1210/en.2015-1070

Summary: Maturation and reproductive function in mammals is controlled by the kisspeptin neuropeptide. Kisspeptin modulates numerous systems within this framework including the mediation of positive and negative feedback effects of estradiol on luteinizing hormone (LH). In the rat, two kisspeptin neuronal populations exist; one in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV), and the KNDy (kisspeptin/ neurokinin B/dynorphin) neurons in the arcuate nucleus. In this work the authors examine the role of KNDy neurons in estradiol positive feedback effects by administering 10-ng bilateral injections of NK3-SAP (Cat. #IT-63) into the arcuate nucleus of rats. The results indicate that KNDy neurons use dynorphin to inhibit AVPV neurons, establishing a regulatory mechanism for the amplitude of steroid-induced LH surges.

Related Products: NKB-SAP (Cat. #IT-63)

Arora V, Morado-Urbina C, Aschenbrenner C, Hayashida K, Wang F, Martin T, Eisenach J, Peters C (2016) Disruption of spinal noradrenergic activation delays recovery of acute incision-induced hypersensitivity and increases spinal glial activation in the rat. J Pain 17:190-202. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2015.10.009

Summary: A significant percentage of patients who undergo surgery experience prolonged clinically impactful pain, reducing the quality of life and physical function. Disruption of the descending noradrenergic input has been hypothesized to be important to the generation of this type of pain state. Using an acute incision model, the authors administered 5 μg ofAnti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03) to the L5-L6 interspace of rats. Mouse IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-18) was used as a control. Lesioned animals demonstrated a significant increase in mechanical hypersensitivity, and a smaller increase in thermal hypersensitivity. This and other results suggest that spinally projecting noradrenergic pathways are necessary for normal recovery from surgical incision, and possibly other types of pain.

Related Products: Anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03), Mouse IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-18)

Freiria-Oliveira A, Blanch G, Pedrino G, Cravo S, Murphy D, Menani J, Colombari D (2015) Catecholaminergic neurons in the comissural region of the nucleus of the solitary tract modulate hyperosmolality-induced responses. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 309:R1082-1091. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00432.2014

Summary: Body fluid homeostasis and cardiovascular regulation are thought to be at least in part controlled by noradrenergic A2 neurons found in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). In this work the authors investigated the involvement of A2 neurons of the commissural NTS in arterial pressure, as well as several body fluid homeostasis parameters. Rats received 12.6-ng injections of Anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03) into the commissural NTS. Mouse IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-18) was used as a control. Lesioned animals displayed increased c-Fos expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus when treated with hypertonic NaCl, and increased arterial pressure. The data indicate that commissural NTS A2 neurons are essential for inhibitory mechanisms that reduce water intake and pressor response to an acute increase in plasma osmolality.

Related Products: Anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03), Mouse IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-18)

Bourane S, Duan B, Koch S, Dalet A, Britz O, Garcia-Campmany L, Kim E, Cheng L, Ghosh A, Ma Q, Goulding M (2015) Gate control of mechanical itch by a subpopulation of spinal cord interneurons. Science 350:550-554. doi: 10.1126/science.aac8653

Summary: Light mechanical stimulation of the hairy skin can induce a form of itch known as mechanical itch. This itch sensation is normally suppressed by inputs from mechanoreceptors, however, in many forms of chronic itch, including alloknesis, this gating mechanism is lost. Scientists demonstrated that a population of spinal inhibitory interneurons (INs), that are defined by the expression of neuropeptide Y::Cre (NPY::Cre), act to gate mechanical itch. Mice in which dorsal NPY::Cre-derived neurons are selectively ablated or silenced develop mechanical itch without an increase in sensitivity to chemical itch or pain. This chronic itch state is histamine-independent and is transmitted independently of the GRP-GRPR signaling pathway. The scientists thereby revealed a dedicated spinal cord inhibitory pathway that gates the transmission of mechanical itch. Mice were given an intrathecal injection of 400 ng of Bombesin-SAP (Cat. #IT-40) in 10 ml of sterile saline to ablate GRPR-expressing neurons.

Related Products: Bombesin-SAP (Cat. #IT-40)

Ostock CY, Conti MM, Larose T, Meadows S, Bishop C (2015) Cognitive and motor deficits in a rodent model of Parkinson’s disease displaying concurrent dopamine and acetylcholine loss. Neuroscience 2015 Abstracts 676.26/D33. Society for Neuroscience, Chicago IL.

Summary: Dopamine (DA) loss in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is frequently accompanied by degeneration of acetylcholine neurons within the basal forebrain (BF) and the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN). Recently, Ach neurons in these nuclei have been implicated in both the motor and non-motor symptoms of PD. However, few rodent models of PD actually account for Ach loss in both the BF and PPN. Here, we evaluated the effects of concurrent BF and PPN Ach loss alone and in combination with striatal DA loss on motor and cognitive performance in a rat model of PD. Sprague-Dawley rats (N = 44) received bilateral: striatal 6-OHDA lesions to deplete DA (DA-lesioned; n = 14), BF (192 IgG-Saporin) and PPN (anti-ChAT Saporin) saporin lesions to deplete Ach (Ach-lesioned; n = 10), combined 6-OHDA + saporin lesions (dual-lesioned; n = 6) , or sham lesions (n = 14). Following recovery from surgery, rats underwent a battery of motor and cognitive behavioral tests. Results indicated that Ach-lesioned and dual-lesioned rats displayed spatial memory deficits on the Morris Water Maze and Spontaneous Alternation tests. DA and Ach lesions alone impaired stepping for the forepaw adjusting steps and vibrissae-elicited paw placement tests and this deficit was exacerbated in dual-lesioned rats. However, only rats with Ach or dual lesions showed motor deficits on the rotarod tests. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that Ach loss may exacerbate cognitive and motor symptoms in PD and highlight the importance of including Ach loss in preclinical models of PD.

Related Products: 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01), Anti-ChAT-SAP (Cat. #IT-42), Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

Kiley BJ, Sengelaub DR (2015) Neuroprotection with androgens following partial motoneuron depletion: A role for microglia. Neuroscience 2015 Abstracts 689.18/K11. Society for Neuroscience, Chicago IL.

Summary: Neurodegenerative disease or nerve injury results in the loss of spinal motoneurons, and remaining motoneurons show a variety of morphological and functional changes. We have previously demonstrated that partial depletion of motoneurons innervating the quadriceps muscles induces dendritic atrophy in remaining motoneurons, with 70% decreases in dendritic length. Treatment with testosterone is neuroprotective, and dendritic atrophy following partial motoneuron depletion is attenuated. In the present study, we explored a potential mechanism for this induced atrophy and the protection by androgen treatment, examining the response of microglia to the partial depletion of motoneurons with and without testosterone treatment. Microglia are activated locally and recruited from other sites in response to injury. Microglia are involved in the removal of synapses and dendrites after injury, and there is evidence that their activation is influenced by steroid hormones. Motoneurons innervating the vastus medialis muscle in adult male rats were selectively killed by intramuscular injection of cholera toxin-conjugated saporin. Simultaneously, saporin-injected rats were given systemic treatments via interscapular implants containing testosterone or left blank. One or three weeks later, microglia were visualized after immunohistochemical staining for Iba1. Microglia surrounding the injured motoneurons were classified as monitoring or activated (primed, reactive, or ameboid) based on morphology and counted stereologically. Compared with intact males, partial motoneuron depletion resulted in increases in the total number of microglia (78% and 24% at 1 and 3 weeks post-saporin, respectively) in the quadriceps motor pool. These changes were driven by increases in the number of activated microglia compared to levels found in intact animals; the number of activated microglia increased by 144% at 1 week post-saporin, and remained elevated at 3 weeks (51%). The increases in the number of activated microglia were attenuated with testosterone treatment; the number of activated forms increased only 34% and 17% at 1 and 3 weeks post-saporin, respectively. These findings suggest that the dendritic atrophy observed in remaining motoneurons after partial motoneuron depletion could be a result of increased microglial activation in the injury site, resulting in collateral damage through synaptic stripping and dendritic loss. The attenuation of both dendritic atrophy and microglial activation with testosterone treatment supports this potential causal effect, and further supports a role for hormones as neurotherapeutic agents in the injured nervous system.

Related Products: CTB-SAP (Cat. #IT-14)