2007 Targeting Trends Review

Abdala AP, Schoorlemmer GH, Colombari E (2006) Ablation of NK(1) receptor bearing neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract blunts cardiovascular reflexes in awake rats. Brain Res 1119(1):165-173. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.08.059

Summary: Cardiovascular function is largely controlled by the nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS). This work focuses on the baroreflex, cardiopulmonary chemoreflex, and arterial chemoreflex. Rats were injected with either 20 nl of 2 µM SP-SAP (Cat. #IT-07) into the subpostremal NTS, or 200 nl into the subpostremal and commissural NTS. Saporin (Cat. #PR-01) was used as a control. Using various testing methods it was established that NK-1 receptor-expressing neurons in the NTS are critical for these reflexes.

Related Products: SP-SAP (Cat. #IT-07), Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

Milstein JA, Lehmann O, Theobald DE, Dalley JW, Robbins TW (2007) Selective depletion of cortical noradrenalin by anti-dopamine beta-hydroxylase-saporin impairs attentional function and enhances the effects of guanfacine in the rat. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 190(1):51-63. doi: 10.1007/s00213-006-0594-x

Summary: Building on previous work, the authors examined the effect of cortical noradrenalin depletion on a reaction time task. Rats received 0.2 µg-intracortical infusions of anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03), then were trained in a reaction time task. The effect of guanfacine, a selective a-2 adrenergic agonist was also tested in these animals. Lesioned rats were not impaired on the baseline task, but were slower and less accurate during high rate conditions. Guanfacine only affected the lesioned animals.

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

Pedrino GR, Maurino I, de Almeida Colombari DS, Cravo SL (2006) Role of catecholaminergic neurons of the caudal ventrolateral medulla in cardiovascular responses induced by acute changes in circulating volume in rats. Exp Physiol 91(6):995-1005. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.2006.034611

Summary: Catecholaminergic neurons in the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM) are thought to help regulate body fluid homeostasis and cardiovascular response due to changes in circulating volume. The authors injected 6.3 ng of anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03) into the CVLM of rats, and measured several physiological parameters following an injection of hypertonic or isotonic saline. Data from the lesioned rats indicate that catecholaminergic neurons mediate the cardiovascular response to volume expansion or increases in sodium levels.

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

Garcia-Alloza M, Zaldua N, Diez-Ariza M, Marcos B, Lasheras B, Javier Gil-Bea F, Ramirez MJ (2006) Effect of selective cholinergic denervation on the serotonergic system: implications for learning and memory. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 65(11):1074-1081. doi: 10.1097/01.jnen.0000240469.20167.89

Summary: The authors compared two lesioning methods using 192-Saporin (Cat. #IT-01) to examine the role of the serotonergic system in learning and memory. 0.067 µg of conjugate administered to each hemisphere of the nucleus basalis of Meynert reduced cholinergic markers in the frontal cortex. 1 µg of conjugate administered to the ventricle of each hemisphere reduced cholinergic markers in the frontal cortex and hippocampus. Both models reduced serotonin levels in the frontal cortex, but only the ICV injections modified learning.

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

Banihashemi L, Rinaman L (2006) Noradrenergic inputs to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus underlie hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis but not hypophagic or conditioned avoidance responses to systemic yohimbine. J Neurosci 26(44):11442-11453. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3561-06.2006

Summary: Yohimbine (YO) is an a2 adrenoceptor antagonist that increases transmitter release from adrenergic/noradrenergic (NA) neurons. The authors investigated whether NA inputs to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) were required for YO effects. After receiving 11 ng of anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03) in the left and right BNST, rats displayed a marked decrease in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in response to YO administration.

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

Willis CL, Ray DE, Marshall H, Elliot G, Evans JG, Kind CN (2006) Basal forebrain cholinergic lesions reduce heat shock protein 72 response but not pathology induced by the NMDA antagonist MK-801 in the rat cingulate cortex. Neurosci Lett 407(2):112-117. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2006.08.020

Summary: The NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 may have use in establishing a model for schizophrenia. The mechanism by which cortical neurons are damaged by these antagonists is unknown. The authors tested the theory that cholinergic hyperstimulation of cingulate neurons is involved by administering 80 ng of 192-Saporin (Cat. #IT-01) unilaterally to rats. The results indicate that although cholinergic neurons are involved in the heat shock response to MK-801, the pathological effects follow a different pathway.

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

Blanco-Centurion CA, Shiromani A, Winston E, Shiromani PJ (2006) Effects of hypocretin-1 in 192-IgG-saporin-lesioned rats. Eur J Neurosci 24(7):2084-2088. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.05074.x

Summary: The basal forebrain is a major arousal center. Using 6 µg of 192-Saporin (Cat. #IT-01) injected into the lateral ventricle of rats, the role of non-cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain was investigated. Administration of orexin, also known as hypocretin, to lesioned animals produced sleep/wake patterns identical to non-lesioned animals. The results indicate that non-cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain are sufficient to promote arousal in response to orexin.

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

Keener WK, Rivera VR, Young CC, Poli MA (2006) An activity-dependent assay for ricin and related RNA N-glycosidases based on electrochemiluminescence. Anal Biochem 357(2):200-207. doi: 10.1016/j.ab.2006.07.005

Summary: The authors use synthetic biotinylated RNA substrates to assay adenine-specific RNA N-glycosidases, one of which is saporin (Cat. #PR-01). The RNA substrates are annealed to a ruthenylated oligodeoxynucleotide, allowing the capture of ruthenium chelate on magnetic beads. The N-glycosidase activity can then be detected by enzyme-linked chemiluminescence. The developed assay provides a robust method for assessing threats involving N-glycosidases.

Related Products: Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

Turner LH, Lim CE, Heinrichs SC (2007) Antisocial and seizure susceptibility phenotypes in an animal model of epilepsy are normalized by impairment of brain corticotropin-releasing factor. Epilepsy Behav 10(1):8-15. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2006.08.013

Summary: There appears to be an inverse relationship between seizure susceptibility and social interaction. This work examines the role that CRF may play in this system. 2.5 µg of CRF-SAP (Cat. #IT-13) was administered to the lateral ventricle of rats, and the lesioned animals were assessed in terms of social investigation times as well as handling-induced seizures. The results support the involvement of CRF systems in facilitating evoked seizures and suppression of social activity.

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

van der Staay FJ, Bouger P, Lehmann O, Lazarus C, Cosquer B, Koenig J, Stump V, Cassel JC (2006) Long-term effects of immunotoxic cholinergic lesions in the septum on acquisition of the cone-field task and noncognitive measures in rats. Hippocampus 16(12):1061-1079. doi: 10.1002/hipo.20229

Summary: 192-Saporin (Cat. #IT-01) has been used to make extremely specific lesions in the septohippocampal cholinergic system of the brain. The specificity of these lesions is allowing researchers to more accurately map the involvement of the septohippocampal cholinergic system in spatial learning and memory. Here, rats received 0.8 µg of 192-Saporin in the medial septum and the vertical limb of diagonal band of Broca. Lesioned animals only exhibited deficits in attentional learning.

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