targeted-toxins

Brown RE, Basheer R, McKenna JT, Strecker RE, McCarley RW (2012) Control of sleep and wakefulness. Physiol Rev 92(3):1087-1187 . doi: 10.1152/physrev.00032.2011

Summary: This review summarizes mechanisms in the brain that control sleep and wakefulness. Areas discussed include wakefulness promoting systems, non-REM sleep and REM sleep definitions, the function of each kind of sleep, and dysfunction that occurs as a result of sleep disruption. Several targeted conjugates are mentioned, such as 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01), anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03), and orexin-SAP (Cat. #IT-20). The review summarizes the use of these products to better understand sleep networks.

Related Products: 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01), Anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03), Orexin-B-SAP (Cat. #IT-20)

Coolen LM (2012) Featured Article: A pivotal role of lumbar spinothalamic cells in regulation of ejaculation via intraspinal connections. Targeting Trends 13(3)

Related Products: SSP-SAP (Cat. #IT-11), Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21)

Read the featured article in Targeting Trends.

See Also:

• Staudt MD et al. A Pivotal Role of Lumbar Spinothalamic Cells in the Regulation of Ejaculation via Intraspinal Connections. J Sex Med 9(9):2256-2265, 2012.

Xu L, Scheenen WJ, Roubos EW, Kozicz T (2012) Peptidergic Edinger-Westphal neurons and the energy-dependent stress response. Gen Comp Endocrinol 177(3):296-304. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.11.039

Objective: This study investigates the role of the midbrain Edinger–Westphal centrally projecting neuron population (EWcp; synonym: non-preganglionic Edinger–Westphal nucleus) in the energy-dependent stress adaptation response.

Summary: The current data indicates that the EWcp receives information about stressors and peripheral metabolic status, and responds to this information by generating various neuropeptide messengers.

Usage: Leptin-SAP was injected into the EWcp, to kill Leptin receptor-positive neurons. With this approach ~50% of the Ucn1/CART neurons of the EWcp were lost, and the weights of both brown and white adipose tissue significantly increased.

Related Products: Leptin-SAP (Cat. #IT-47)

Sikandar S, Bannister K, Dickenson AH (2012) Brainstem facilitations and descending serotonergic controls contribute to visceral nociception but not pregabalin analgesia in rats. Neurosci Lett 519(1):31-36. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2012.05.009

Summary: Neurons in the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) are classified as ON, OFF, or NEUTRAL based on firing patterns in response to noxious somatic stimulation. ON cells express μ-opioid receptors, and are therefore a target for dermorphin-SAP (Cat. #IT-12). The authors injected the RVM of rats with 3 pmol of dermorphin-SAP; Saporin (Cat. #PR-01) was used as a control. Results show the μ-opioid receptor population is not needed for the function of analgesics through the serotonergic system.

Related Products: Dermorphin-SAP / MOR-SAP (Cat. #IT-12), Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

Mishra SK, Holzman S, Hoon MA (2012) A nociceptive signaling role for neuromedin B. J Neurosci 32(25):8686-8695. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1533-12.2012

Summary: Previous work suggests that neuromedin B (NMB) is involved in nociception. Direct injection of the peptide causes nociceptive sensitization, while NMB antagonists attenuate sensitization in reponse to nerve stimulation with mustard oil. Specific subsets of dorsal horn interneurons were eliminated by administering either 10 μg of the custom conjugate neuromedin B-SAP, 0.13 μg of SSP-SAP (Cat. #IT-11), or 1.3 μg of bombesin-SAP (Cat. #IT-40). Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21) was used as a control. The data indicate that NMB may be involved in the perception of thermal sensation, but not mechanical or pruritic sensation.

Related Products: NMB-SAP (Cat. #IT-70), SSP-SAP (Cat. #IT-11), Bombesin-SAP (Cat. #IT-40), Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21)

Tai SK, Leung LS (2012) Vestibular stimulation enhances hippocampal long-term potentiation via activation of cholinergic septohippocampal cells. Behav Brain Res 232(1):174-182. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.04.013

Summary: It is known that vestibular stimulation induces acetylcholine release in the hippocampus. The authors hypothesized that this stimulation enhances long-term potentiation (LTP) in CA1 and depends on the activation of septohippocampal cholinergic neurons. Rats received 105-ng bilateral infusions of 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01) into the medial septum. The data suggest that LTP enhancement during vestibular stimulation is mediated by cholinergic septohippocampal cells.

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

Abbott SB, Kanbar R, Bochorishvili G, Coates MB, Stornetta RL, Guyenet PG (2012) C1 neurons excite locus coeruleus and A5 noradrenergic neurons along with sympathetic outflow in rats. J Physiol 590(12):2897-2915. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.232157

Summary: C1 neurons are known to activate sympathetic tone and stimulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. C1 activation is also reported to inhibit locus coeruleus (LC) neurons. Rats received 0.6 ng of SSP-SAP (Cat. #IT-11) injected under the caudal edge of the facial motor nucleus to destroy the retrotrapezoid nucleus, increasing the proportion of C1 ChR2-expressing neurons. Stimulation of C1 neurons resulted in activation of noradrenergic neurons that are involved in hypoxia and hypotension.

Related Products: SSP-SAP (Cat. #IT-11)

Li AJ, Wiater MF, Oostrom MT, Smith BR, Wang Q, Dinh TT, Roberts BL, Jansen HT, Ritter S (2012) Leptin-sensitive neurons in the arcuate nuclei contribute to endogenous feeding rhythms. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 302(11):R1313-26. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00086.2012

Summary: It is clear that the arcuate nucleus (Arc) plays an important role in the generation of feeding rhythms. To clarify how this region modulates signals governing food intake the authors took advantage of the Arc mediation of leptin. Rats received bilateral injections of leptin-SAP (Cat. #IT-47, 56.5 ng per dose) into each Arc. Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21) was used as a control. The lesioned animals quickly became obese and displayed arrhythmic eating patterns under normal light conditions. The results indicate that lesioned neurons in the Arc as well as those in the suprachiasmatic nuclei are required for maintenance of feeding rhythms controlled by photic cues.

Related Products: Leptin-SAP (Cat. #IT-47), Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21)

Smith CD, Holschbach MA, Olsewicz J, Lonstein JS (2012) Effects of noradrenergic alpha-2 receptor antagonism or noradrenergic lesions in the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial preoptic area on maternal care in female rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 224(2):263-276. doi: 10.1007/s00213-012-2749-2

Summary: The authors investigated the function of norepinephrine in mothering. Lesioned animals received 55-ng infusions of anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03) into the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Mouse-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-18) was used as a control. The results demonstrate that downregulated noradrenergic activity is necessary for postpartum maternal behavior, but is not enough to elicit maternal behavior in nulliparous females.

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

Pedrino GR, Freiria-Oliveira AH, Almeida Colombari DS, Rosa DA, Cravo SL (2012) A2 noradrenergic lesions prevent renal sympathoinhibition induced by hypernatremia in rats. PLoS One 7(5):e37587. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037587

Summary: It is thought that renal sympathetic nerve activity is a key component of the response to acute or chronic elevated concentrations of saline in the blood stream. The authors investigated what neurons are involved in the central control of these responses. Rats received bilateral 6.3 ng injections of anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03) into the nucleus of the solitary tract. An equimolar amount (1.3 ng) of saporin (Cat. #PR-01) was used as a control. Loss of the A2 noradrenergic neurons altered the renal sympathetic nerve activity response to elevated saline, suggesting that these neurons help regulate the extracellular fluid compartment.

Related Products: Anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03), Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)