2004 Targeting Trends Review

Gerashchenko D, Murillo-Rodriguez E, Lin L, Xu M, Hallett L, Nishino S, Mignot E, Shiromani PJ (2003) Relationship between CSF hypocretin levels and hypocretin neuronal loss. Exp Neurol 184(2):1010-1016. doi: 10.1016/S0014-4886(03)00388-1

Summary: Narcolepsy has recently been shown to be a neurodegenerative disease. Data from several different sources indicate that narcoleptics have very low levels of hypocretin (HCRT)-containing neurons. The authors sought to verify a direct linkage between HCRT-containing neurons and HCRT levels in the CSF. Rats were lesioned with 45-90 ng of orexin-SAP (Cat. #IT-20) bilaterally into the lateral hypothalamus. Loss of HCRT neurons correlated with decreased levels of HCRT in the CSF.

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

Chudasama Y, Dalley JW, Nathwani F, Bouger P, Robbins TW (2004) Cholinergic modulation of visual attention and working memory: Dissociable effects of basal forebrain 192-IgG-saporin lesions and intraprefrontal infusions of scopolamine. Learn Mem 11(1):78-86. doi: 10.1101/lm.70904

Summary: It is hypothesized that cortical cholinergic dysfunction underlies the cognitive impairments associated with dementia and normal aging. The authors examined the role of these neurons in both attentional and mnemonic functions, using either bilateral infusions of 125 ng of 192-Saporin (Cat. #IT-01) into the bregma of rats or infusions of scopolamine. The results suggest that attentional and working memory capacities can be tested separately during the same session. It is also indicated that the CBF system is a modulator of both attentional and mnemonic processing.

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

Janisiewicz AM, Baxter MG (2003) Transfer effects and conditional learning in rats with selective lesions of medial septal/diagonal band cholinergic neurons. Behav Neurosci 117(6):1342-1352. doi: 10.1037/0735-7044.117.6.1342

Summary: Conditional learning appears to require cholinergic input to the hippocampus and cingulate cortex. Using a total of 0.5 µl of 0.12 µg/µl 192-Saporin (Cat. #IT-01) injected into the medial septal area of rats, the authors investigated the role of cholinergic input in conditional learning. The results suggest that cholinergic neurons of the medial septum/vertical limb of the diagonal band play a role in the transfer of behavioral experience rather than in conditional learning itself.

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

Harmon KM, Wellman CL (2003) Differential effects of cholinergic lesions on dendritic spines in frontal cortex of young adult and aging rats. Brain Res 992:60-68. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2003.08.029

Summary: The authors used 0.15 µg of 192-Saporin (Cat. #IT-01) injected into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis of rats to study whether dendritic spine density is altered by cholinergic deafferentation. While the spine density decreased in young rats, middle-aged and aged animals did not display a density significantly different than controls.

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

Vuckovich JA, Semel ME, Baxter MG (2004) Extensive lesions of cholinergic basal forebrain neurons do not impair spatial working memory. Learn Mem 11:87-94. doi: 10.1101/lm.63504

Summary: The authors wished to examine whether cerebellar Purkinje cells damaged during a cholinergic basal forebrain lesion might be the cause of impaired working memory. Four injections of 0.2-0.3 µl (0.12-0.15 µg/ml, 192-Saporin, Cat. #IT-01) into the medial septum/vertical limb of the diagonal band, two injections into the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca, and four injections into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis/ substantia innominata of rats were used to produce a very specific lesion. The results indicate that the cholinergic basal forebrain does not play a substantial role in spatial working memory.

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

Farhadi HF, Lepage P, Forghani R, Friedman HC, Orfali W, Jasmin L, Miller W, Hudson TJ, Peterson AC (2003) A combinatorial network of evolutionarily conserved myelin basic protein regulatory sequences confers distinct glial-specific phenotypes. J Neurosci 23(32):10214-10223. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-32-10214.2003

Summary: The authors used intrathecal injections of 0.3 µg CTB-SAP (Cat. #IT-14) to induce spinal cord demyelination for the purpose of defining the regulatory network controlling myelin basic protein transcription in mice.

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

Rinaman L (2003) Hindbrain noradrenergic lesions attenuate anorexia and alter central cFos expression in rats after gastric viscerosensory stimulation. J Neurosci 23(31):10084-10092. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-31-10084.2003

Summary: Using 5-ng injections of anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03) into hindbrain nucleus of the solitary tract in rats, the author investigated the role of DBH-positive neurons in the mediation of anorexigenic and central nervous system activation effects due to exogenous CCK.

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

Buffo A, Carulli D, Rossi F, Strata P (2003) Extrinsic regulation of injury/growth-related gene expression in the inferior olive of the adult rat. Eur J Neurosci 18(8):2146-2158. doi: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2003.02940.x

Summary: Inferior olive (IO) cells of the CNS have the ability to regenerate axons after injury, even when the injury is close to the terminal field. After administration of 2.2 µg of 192-Saporin (Cat. #IT-01) and a control immunotoxin (mouse IgG-SAP, Cat #IT-18) to each ventricle in rats, two subsets of IO cells were discovered. Each subset responded differently to injury indicating that multiple mechanisms are responsible for their intrinsic regenerative potential.

Related Products: 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01), Mouse IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-18)

Leung LS, Shen B, Rajakumar N, Ma J (2003) Cholinergic activity enhances hippocampal long-term potentiation in CA1 during walking in rats. J Neurosci 23(28):9297-9304. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-28-09297.2003

Summary: To investigate the role of the cholinergic system in long term potentiation (LTP) the authors lesioned the left and right medial septum of rats with 0.14 µg of 192-Saporin (Cat. #IT-01). LTP induced in lesioned walking animals is less robust than in control animals.

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

Dommergues MA, Plaisant F, Verney C, Gressens P (2003) Early microglial activation following neonatal excitotoxic brain damage in mice: a potential target for neuroprotection. Neuroscience 121(3):619-628. doi: 10.1016/s0306-4522(03)00558-x

Summary: Brain lesions that mimic damage from cerebral palsy in mice are characterized by microglial activation within 24 hours of insult. Using intraperitoneal injections of Mac-1-SAP (90 µg/kg, Cat. #IT-06), a reduction in the density of resident microglial and blood-derived monocytes was obtained.

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