2009 Targeting Trends Review

Vetrivelan R, Fuller PM, Tong Q, Lu J (2009) Medullary circuitry regulating rapid eye movement sleep and motor atonia. J Neurosci 29:9361-9369. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0737-09.2009

Summary: Data concerning rapid-eye movement (REM) motor atonia in rats has not agreed with results seen in large amount of data from cats. Here the authors traced the medullary networks in rats involved with this REM function. 120-300 ng injections of orexin-SAP (Cat. #IT-20) were administered to 6 different sites in the medulla. Ablation of orexin receptor-expressing neurons in one site in the ventromedial medulla resulted in intermittent loss of muscle atonia, indicating that glutaminergic neurons in this area are key components of the REM atonia circuit.

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

Kaur S, Thankachan S, Begum S, Liu M, Blanco-Centurion C, Shiromani PJ (2009) Hypocretin-2 saporin lesions of the ventrolateral periaquaductal gray (vlPAG) increase REM sleep in hypocretin knockout mice. PLoS One 4:e6346. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006346

Summary: Not all connections between narcolepsy and orexin are understood, since orexin neurons are located in the lateral hypothalamus and some sleep functions are controlled by the brainstem. This experiment used 16.5 ng injections of orexin-SAP (Cat. #IT-20) into each side of the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (v/PAG to) examine these connections. The results indicate that loss of orexin neurons in the v/PAG results in loss of inhibitory control over REM sleep, but does not cause cataplexy.

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

Lopez-Aranda MF, Lopez-Tellez JF, Navarro-Lobato I, Masmudi-Martin M, Gutierrez A, Khan ZU (2009) Role of layer 6 of V2 visual cortex in object-recognition memory. Science 325:87-89. doi: 10.1126/science.1170869

Summary: The authors examined the role of the V2 visual cortex in visual memory. Working with the prediction that object-recognition memory (ORM) control is centered in the V2 visual cortex, rats received 0.9 µg injections of OX7-SAP (Cat. #IT-02) into this area. Treatment with OX7-SAP eliminated virtually all neurons in layer 6 of area V2 of the visual cortex without damaging the hippocampus. The results indicate that this area of the visual cortex is important for ORM formation, but not storage.

Related Products: OX7-SAP (Cat. #IT-02)

Cao F, Chen SS, Yan XF, Xiao XP, Liu XJ, Yang SB, Xu AJ, Gao F, Yang H, Chen ZJ, Tian YK (2009) Evaluation of side effects through selective ablation of the mu opioid receptor expressing descending nociceptive facilitatory neurons in the rostral ventromedial medulla with dermorphin-saporin. Neurotoxicology 30(6):1096-1106. doi: 10.1016/j.neuro.2009.06.004

Summary: Selective ablation of rostral ventromedial (RVM) neurons expressing mu opioid receptors has been suggested as a treatment for pathological pain. This work investigated the side effects of a 0.5 µg injection of dermorphin-SAP (Cat. #IT-12) into the RVM. Saporin (Cat. #PR-01) was used as a control. Lesioned animals experienced a temporary increase in heart rate and systolic blood pressure, and mild microglial responses, but even these soon returned to normal. The data suggest this system has potential as a target for pain therapeutics.

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

Esclassan F, Coutureau E, Di Scala G, Marchand AR (2009) A cholinergic-dependent role for the entorhinal cortex in trace fear conditioning. J Neurosci 29:8087-8093. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0543-09.2009

Summary: Higher cognitive involvement can be modeled through the use of trace conditioning in simple associative tasks. Rats received several 20-80 ng injections of 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01) into the entorhinal cortex (EC) in order to clarify the mechanisms that allow learning through the association of events that occur at different times. Cholinergic depletion of the EC did not result in a training deficit, indicating that these cells are not necessary for trace conditioning.

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

Wiley RG, Lemons LL, Kline IV RH (2009) Neuropeptide Y receptor-expressing dorsal horn neurons: role in nocifensive reflex responses to heat and formalin. Neuroscience 161:139-147. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.12.017

Summary: This work examines the effect of lumbar intrathecal administration of NPY-SAP (Cat. #IT-28), and the role of Y1 NPY receptor-expressing neurons (Y1R) in response to thermal and chemical stimulation. Rats received 500 ng or 750 ng intrathecal injections of NPY-SAP. Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21) was used as a control. Lesioned animals displayed a specific loss of Y1R in the dorsal horn, as well as reduced nocifensive reflex responses.

Related Products: NPY-SAP (Cat. #IT-28), Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21)

Aisa B, Gil-Bea FJ, Marcos B, Tordera R, Lasheras B, Del Rio J, Ramirez MJ (2009) Neonatal stress affects vulnerability of cholinergic neurons and cognition in the rat: Involvement of the HPA axis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 34(10):1495-1505. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.05.003

Summary: Early adverse life events such as maternal separation (MS) can increase vulnerability to psychopathology as an adult. The authors administered bilateral intracerebroventricular 1 µg injections of 192-IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-01) to MS rats then analyzed choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase activity. Lesioned animals displayed reduced activity of both of these enzymes, as well as decreased glucocorticoid receptor density. The results suggest that vulnerability of basal forebrain cholinergic cells may be affected by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

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

Ho NF, Han SP, Dawe GS (2009) Effect of voluntary running on adult hippocampal neurogenesis in cholinergic lesioned mice. BMC Neurosci 10:57. doi: 10.1186/1471-2202-10-57

Summary: The act of running can induce hippocampal neurogenesis. In this work the authors investigated whether running can offset the loss of septohippocamal cholinergic neurons caused by a lesion using mu p75-SAP (Cat. #IT-16). Mice received 3.6 µg of the toxin into each lateral ventricle. Although the number of surviving neurons was similar in both lesioned and control animals, most of the progenitor cells in the lesioned animals could not survive without cholinergic input.

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

Ray AP, Chebolu S, Ramirez J, Darmani NA (2009) Ablation of least shrew central neurokinin NK1 receptors reduces GR73632-induced vomiting. Behav Neurosci 123:701-706. doi: 10.1037/a0015733

Summary: In this work the authors investigated the role of central and peripheral nervous systems components that mediate the emetic reflex. Least shrews received an 600-ng injection of SSP-SAP (Cat. #IT-11) into the lateral ventricle. Some animals also received a 4.8-µg intraperitoneal injection of SSP-SAP. Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21) and unconjugated saporin (Cat. #PR-01) were used as controls. Lesioned animals displayed reduced emesis, but the data indicate that a minor peripheral nervous system component is also present.

Related Products: SSP-SAP (Cat. #IT-11), Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21), Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

Radley JJ, Gosselink KL, Sawchenko PE (2009) A discrete GABAergic relay mediates medial prefrontal cortical inhibition of the neuroendocrine stress response. J Neurosci 29:7330-7340. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5924-08.2009

Summary: GABAergic neurons have been implicated in the negative regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). In order to clarify GABAergic input to the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus the authors injected 0.23 µg of GAT1-SAP (Cat. #IT-32) into the anterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Both unilateral and bilateral injections were used. Rabbit IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-35) was used as a control. The data indicate that the GABAergic neuronal population functions as proximate mediator of HPA-inhibitory limbic influences.

Related Products: GAT1-SAP (Cat. #IT-32), Rabbit IgG-SAP (Cat. #IT-35)