targeted-toxins

Zhang G, Liu Z, Zhang B, Geng W, Song N, Zhou W, Cao Y, Li S, Huang Z, Shen L (2014) Orexin A activates hypoglossal motoneurons and enhances genioglossus muscle activity in rats. Br J Pharmacol 171:4233-4246. doi: 10.1111/bph.12784

Summary: Orexin neurons are restricted to the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and are involved in functions such as feeding behavior, energy homeostasis, sleep/wake cycles, and many others. Here the authors investigate orexin control of the genioglossus – the largest upper airway dilator muscle. Rats received bilateral 172 ng injections of orexin-SAP into the LH. Lesioned animals displayed a significant decrease in genioglossus muscle electromyograms, indicating that orexin neurons are vital to the control of this muscle.

Related Products: Orexin-B-SAP (Cat. #IT-20)

Ostock C, Lindenbach D, Goldenberg A, Kampton E, Bishop C (2014) Effects of noradrenergic denervation by anti-DBH-saporin on behavioral responsivity to L-DOPA in the hemi-parkinsonian rat. Behav Brain Res 270:75-85. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.05.009

Summary: Dopamine loss is central to Parkinson’s disease and is often accompanied by noradrenergic denervation of the locus coeruleus. In this work the authors examined the role this loss plays in L-DOPA therapy using a rat Parkinson’s disease model. The rats received 10 μg of anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03) into the left lateral ventricle. Loss of norepinephrine (NE) neurons did not affect behavior, but lesioned animals were less responsive to the pro-motor therapeutic effects of L-DOPA.

Related Products: Anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03)

Criscimanna A, Coudriet G, Gittes G, Piganelli J, Esni F (2014) Activated macrophages create lineage-specific microenvironments for pancreatic acinar- and β-cell regeneration in mice. Gastroenterology 147:1106-1118.e1111. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2014.08.008

Summary: In response to tissue damage or infection, monocytes are recruited to the injured area and differentiate into macrophages. These macrophages can perform different functions depending on the tissue type. The specific differentiation macrophages undergo in response to their environment is called polarization. The authors used a mouse pancreatic lesion model to examine the polarization of macrophages into the two distinct states known, M1 and M2. Mice received 20 μg of Mac-1-SAP mouse (Cat. #IT-06) in a tail vein injection following a pancreatic lesion, and were sacrificed on various days post-injection in order to evaluate macrophage presence at different response stages. The results demonstrate that various aspects of macrophage polarization are required for pancreatic regeneration.

Related Products: Mac-1-SAP mouse/human (Cat. #IT-06)

Liu H, Yan W, Lu X, Zhang X, Wei J, Wang X, Wang T, Wu T, Cao J, Shao C, Zhou F, Zhang H, Zhang P, Zang T, Lu X, Cao J, Ding H, Zhang L (2014) Role of the cerebrospinal fluid-contacting nucleus in the descending inhibition of spinal pain transmission. Exp Neurol 261:475-485. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.07.018

Summary: The first synapse in the pain pathway is in the spinal dorsal horn, and several sites are involved in the descending control of pain. Previous studies have suggested that cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons may facilitate signal transmission and substance transport between the brain parenchyma and the CSF, including processes that modulate pain transmission. The authors administered CTB-SAP (Cat. #IT-14) into the right lateral ventricle of rats. Saporin (Cat. #PR-01) was used as a control. The results indicate that the 5-HT pathway contacting the CSF is an important piece in the descending inhibitory system controlling spinal transmission of pain.

Related Products: CTB-SAP (Cat. #IT-14), Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

Bostad M, Kausberg M, Weyergang A, Olsen C, Berg K, Høgset A, Selbo P (2014) Light-triggered, efficient cytosolic release of IM7-saporin targeting the putative cancer stem cell marker CD44 by photochemical internalization. Mol Pharm 11:2764-2776. doi: 10.1021/mp500129t

Summary: CD44 is known as a common cancer stem cell (CSC) marker. Given that CSC’s seem to have the ability to resist many therapeutic agents, the authors investigated the use of photochemical internalization (PCI) while targeting CD44-expressing CSC’s. An immunotoxin was constructed by biotinylating a pan CD44 antibody and combining it with Streptavidin-ZAP (Cat. #IT-27) at a 4:1 biotinylated antibody to Streptavidin-ZAP molar ratio. Various cancer cell lines were incubated with the toxin at a concentration of 0.825 nM. The toxin showed specific cytotoxicity to CD44-expressing cell lines, demonstrating the efficacy of PCI in conjunction with targeted toxins to treat some cancers

Related Products: Streptavidin-ZAP (Cat. #IT-27), Anti-CD44-SAP (Cat. #IT-72)

Lee CL, Rajkumar R, Dawe GS (2014) Featured Article: Corticotropin releasing factor-saporin conjugate selectively lesions nucleus incertus. Targeting Trends 15(2)

Related Products: CRF-SAP (Cat. #IT-13), Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21)

Read the featured article in Targeting Trends.

See Also:

• Lee LC et al. Selective lesioning of nucleus incertus with corticotropin releasing factor-saporin conjugate. Brain Res 1543:179-190, 2014.

Jeong D, Lee J, Lee S, Chang W, Kim S, Chang J (2014) Improvements in memory after medial septum stimulation are associated with changes in hippocampal cholinergic activity and neurogenesis. Biomed Res Int 2014:568587. doi: 10.1155/2014/568587

Summary: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a technique by which electrical impulses are applied to specific areas of the brain as therapy for various disorders. In this work the authors examined the mechanisms by which DBS can treat dementia. Rats received 5.04 μg intracerebroventricular injections of 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01); some rats also received an electrode implanted into the medial septum. Lesioned animals displayed deficits in water maze testing – this deficit was eliminated for the group that received electrical stimulation to the medial septum. The stimulated group also displayed an increase in hippocampal cholinergic activity as well as neurogenesis, indicating that DBS has therapeutic potential.

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

Carr F, Géranton S, Hunt S (2014) Descending controls modulate inflammatory joint pain and regulate CXC chemokine and iNOS expression in the dorsal horn. Mol Pain 10:39. doi: 10.1186/1744-8069-10-39

Summary: Peripheral joint pathology in conditions such as osteoarthritis does not always correlate to the amount of pain experienced, indicating that chronic pain is present. The role of descending facilitation in this form of chronic pain has not been investigated. The authors examined the role of mu opioid receptor-expressing cells in the rostral vental medulla (RVM) in behavioral hypersensitivity seen in joint pain models. Rats received 1.5 pmol of Dermorphin-SAP (Cat. #IT-12) into the RVM. Lesioned animals displayed prolonged attenuation of hypersensitivity, and altered expression of several genes was detected by qPCR, indicating that descending facilitation in the RVM is involved in joint pain behavior.

Related Products: Dermorphin-SAP / MOR-SAP (Cat. #IT-12)

Bajo V, Leach N, Cordery P, Nodal F, King A (2014) The cholinergic basal forebrain in the ferret and its inputs to the auditory cortex. Eur J Neurosci 40:2922-2940. doi: 10.1111/ejn.12653 PMID: 24945075

Summary: The ferret has become a more common animal model in auditory neuroscience. Unlike rodent models, however, anatomical data describing the organization of the basal forebrain cholinergic system and its projections to the auditory cortex have not been well characterized. Using a variety of methods the authors mapped the architecture of the ferret basal forebrain. IHC was done with several antibodies including anti-ChAT (Cat. #AB-N34AP; 1:1000) and anti-NGFr (Cat. #AB-N07; 1:500). Animals also received 17 μg of ME20.4-SAP (Cat. #IT-15) in a total of 17 injections into the ectosylvian gyrus. The results indicate that acetylcholine is most likely involved in modulation of auditory processing.

Related Products: Choline Acetyltransferase Rabbit Polyclonal, affinity-purified (Cat. #AB-N34AP), NGFr (ME20.4, p75) Mouse Monoclonal (Cat. #AB-N07), ME20.4-SAP (Cat. #IT-15)

Rastogi S, Unni S, Sharma S, Laxmi T, Kutty B (2014) Cholinergic immunotoxin 192 IgG-saporin alters subicular theta-gamma activity and impairs spatial learning in rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 114:117-126. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2014.05.008

Summary: The authors investigated the role of the subiculum in spatial informational processing, specifically cholinergic modulation of subicular theta-gamma activity. Rats received 50-ng injections of 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01) into the ventral subiculum. Lesioned animals displayed altered theta and gamma activity as well as impaired spatial learning. The hippocampal cholinergic innervations remained intact, indicating that cholinergic modulation of theta-gamma activity in the subiculum plays an important role in spatial information processing.

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