tt2016

Arroyo D, Kirkby L, Feller M (2016) Retinal waves modulate an intraretinal circuit of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. J Neurosci 36:6892-6905. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0572-16.2016 PMID: 27358448

Summary: The researchers explore the neural circuits underlying the ipRGC driven light responses of the developing retina and the mechanisms by which retinal waves regulate these circuits. They demonstrate that, even in the presence of cholinergic waves, ipRGC gap junction microcircuits propagate light-driven signals, thus strongly contributing to the overall light response of the developing retina. Following fixation, retinas were washed in PBS and remounted onto a new piece of filter paper. They were incubated in blocking buffer and then in primary immunoreaction solution, 1:2500 rabbit anti-melanopsin (Cat. #AB-N38). Results show that, during development, ipRGCs form extensive gap junction microcircuits that shape the early retinal light response. Retinal waves exert a far-reaching, neuromodulatory influence on these circuits via dopaminergic modulation of gap junctions, thus potentially impacting the processing of early visual input.

Related Products: Melanopsin Rabbit Polyclonal (Cat. #AB-N38)

Matsuura T, Kawasaki M, Hashimoto H, Yoshimura M, Motojima Y, Saito R, Ueno H, Maruyama T, Ishikura T, Sabanai K, Mori T, Ohnishi H, Onaka T, Sakai A, Ueta Y (2016) Possible involvement of the rat hypothalamo-neurohypophysial/-spinal oxytocinergic pathways in acute nociceptive responses. J Neuroendocrinol 28(6) doi: 10.1111/jne.12396

Summary: It has been suggested that the amplification of GABAergic neurons in the inhibitory system induces the selective inhibition by Oxytocin (OXT) of excitability in the spinal cord, and the pain transmitted from the periphery to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord by this action may be attenuated at the spinal cord level. Rats were injected IT with Oxytocin-SAP (Cat. #IT-46) dissolved in saline (0.06 μg/μl), Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21) dissolved in saline (0.06 μg/μl), or saline. Formalin-induced acute nociception activated OXT-containing cells in both the magnocellular and parvocellular divisions of hypothalamus, and that the parvocellular division remains activated longer than the magnocellular division. Acute nociception-induced activation of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system caused elevation of plasma OXT levels. In addition, the OXTergic spinal pathway may be involved in pain modulation via OXTRs in the spinal cord.

Related Products: Oxytocin-SAP (Cat. #IT-46), Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21)

Mohammed M, Kulasekara K, Ootsuka Y, Blessing W (2016) Locus coeruleus noradrenergic innervation of the amygdala facilitates alerting-induced constriction of the rat tail artery. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 310:R1109-1119. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00058.2016

Summary: The researchers tested the hypothesis that release of noradrenaline within the amygdala is important for the occurrence of SCVARS (sympathetic cutaneous vasoconstrictor alerting responses). A long-shanked 5-μl glass micropipette calibrated in 100-nl steps, was filled with vehicle or Anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03). Anti-DBH-SAP (5 μg in 250 nl) or vehicle was injected into the amygdala during ∼1 min, and the pipette was left in place for an additional The locus coeruleus has been implicated in many aspects of emotional arousal, so that functional inhibition of the extensive locus coeruleus-derived noradrenergic innervation of centers known to be important in emotional arousal, including the amygdala, is likely to contribute to the therapeutic actions of clonidine-like agents. The locus coeruleus also has major reciprocal connections with the orexin-synthesizing neurons in the hypothalamus, and rats with genetically lesioned orexin receptor neurons (alternatively, oen could lesion with Orexin-SAP, Cat. #IT-20) have reduced emotional arousal as reflected in reduced SCVAR responses to alerting stimuli.

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

Dickey D, Thomas G, Dassie J, Giangrande P (2016) Method for confirming cytoplaintratumoral anti-HuD immunotoxinsmic delivery of RNA aptamers. (eds. Shum K, Rossi J). In: SiRNA Delivery Methods. Methods in Molecular Biology. 1364:209-217. Humana Press, New York, NY. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3112-5_17

Objective: To describe a functional assay (RIP assay) to confirm cellular uptake and subsequent cytoplasmic release of an RNA aptamer which binds to a cell surface receptor expressed on prostate cancer cells (PSMA).

Summary: This publication details an in vitro functional assay to confirm that the aptamer retains function following conjugation to saporin and describe a cellular assay to measure aptamer-mediated saporin-induced cytotoxicity.

Usage: The folded biotinylated aptamer was mixed at a 1:4 molar ratio of Streptavidin-ZAP, confirmed by agarose gel, a PSMA enzymatic activity (NAALADase) assay performed. FGF-SAP was used as a control.

Related Products: Streptavidin-ZAP (Cat. #IT-27), FGF-SAP (Cat. #IT-38)

Matsuura T, Kawasaki M, Hashimoto H, Yoshimura M, Motojima Y, Saito R, Ueno H, Maruyama T, Sabanai K, Mori T, Ohnishi H, Sakai A, Ueta Y (2016) Effects of central administration of oxytocin-saporin cytotoxin on chronic inflammation and feeding/drinking behaviors in adjuvant arthritic rats. Neurosci Lett 621:104-110. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.04.010

Summary: In the present study, Oxytocin-SAP, which chemically disrupts oxytocin (OXT signaling was administered centrally and an OXT receptor (OXTR) antagonist administered peripherally to determine whether central and peripheral OXT is involved in chronic inflammation and feeding/drinking behavior in adjuvant arthritis (AA) rats. Rats were injected i.t. with Oxytocin-SAP (Cat. #IT-46) or Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21) dissolved in saline (0.06 μg/μl). The results demonstrated that the arthritis index values were significantly enhanced and suppression of food intake was transiently attenuated in Oxytocin-SAP treated rats when AA developed, The arthritis index and food intake did not significantly change in the OXTR antagonist i.p.-injected rats. These results suggest that central oxytocinergic pathways may be involved in anti-inflammation at the spinal level and suppression of feeding behavior at the forebrain-brainstem level in AA rats.

Related Products: Oxytocin-SAP (Cat. #IT-46), Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21)

Angioni L, Cocco C, Ferri G, Argiolas A, Melis M, Sanna F (2016) Involvement of nigral oxytocin in locomotor activity: A behavioral, immunohistochemical and lesion study in male rats. Horm Behav 83:23-38. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.05.012

Summary: Oxytocin is well known for its hormonal role in lactation and parturition, but also exerts widespread actions in central nervous system. Previous experiments revealed the existence of a correlation between the changes in locomotor activity found in Oxytocin-SAP-treated rats and the extent of the changes in nigral TH and vesicular glutamate transporters immunoreactivity, provide support for a modulatory role of oxytocin on locomotor activity at the level of the substantia nigra. The day after a prior assessment of spontaneous locomotor activity, rats were randomly injected bilaterally with 0.3 μL of Oxytocin-SAP (Cat. #IT-46, 60 ng/μL/site), or with the same amount of Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21, 60 ng/μL/site) or with vehicle (0.3 μL/site of PBS, pH 7.4). Whether oxytocin may be considered as a target for controlling motor disturbances, as those occurring in Parkinson’s disease and/or in other motor disturbances related to basal ganglia dysfunctions, remains to be evaluated

Related Products: Oxytocin-SAP (Cat. #IT-46), Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21)

Lee S, Diener K, Kaufman S, Krieger J, Pettersen K, Jejelava N, Arnold M, Watts A, Langhans W (2016) Limiting glucocorticoid secretion increases the anorexigenic property of Exendin-4. Mol Metab 5:552-565. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2016.04.008

Summary: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogs lower blood surgar levels and cause a loss of appetite. Exendin-4 (Ex-4) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, and also increases glucocorticoid secretion. Several tests were conducted to determine if the released glucocorticoids interact with Ex-4’s anorexigneic effect. One method involved ablating hindbrain catecholaminergic neurons by stereotaxically injecting 42 ng of Anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03) bilaterally into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus in rats. Animals were injected with equimolar concentrations of unconjugated Saporin (Cat. #PR-01) as a control. Anti-DBH-SAP lesions reduced the efficacy of Ex-4 to increase corticosterone secretion but increased the anorexigenic effect, indicating that Ex-4-dependent corticosterone secretion opposes Ex-4’s actions. Anti-DBH-SAP lesions increased Ex-4’s ability to reduce food intake and body weight.

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

Sedlik C, Heitzmann A, Viel S, Ait Sarkouh R, Batisse C, Schmidt F, De La Rochere P, Amzallag N, Osinaga E, Oppezzo P, Pritsch O, Sastre-Garau X, Hubert P, Amigorena S, Piaggio E (2016) Effective antitumor therapy based on a novel antibody-drug conjugate targeting the Tn carbohydrate antigen. Oncoimmunology 5:e1171434. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2016.1171434

Summary: Scientists wanted to study the potential of Chi-Tn, a monoclonal antibody against a glycol-peptidic tumor-associated antigen, as an anticancer antibody-drug conjugate. They demonstrated that Chi-Tn specifically targeted tumor cells in vivo, using flow cytometry and deconvolution microscopy to show that Chi-Tn is rapidly internalized. Chi-Tn-SAP (ATS Custom Services) effectively killed Tn-positive cells, but had no effect on Tn-negative cells. Saporin (Cat. #PR-01) was used as control. The cytotoxicity of the Chi-Tn-SAP correlated with the level of tumoral Tn expression.

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

Vierck C, Yezierski R, Wiley R (2016) Pain sensitivity following loss of cholinergic basal forebrain (CBF) neurons in the rat. Neuroscience 319:23-34. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.01.038

Objective: There is a large amount of research on the involvement of cholinergic mechanisms on spinal transmission of pain signals, indicating that cholinergic agonists can attenuate this kind of pain. In contrast, some studies have shown affective reactions to pain are suppressed by cholinergic antagonists. The authors investigated the disagreement between reflexive and affective reactions.

Summary: Lesioned rats displayed decreased escape from thermal stimulation, as well as loss of the normal hyperalgesic effect of sound stress. Results indicate that the basal forebrain cholinergic system plays a role in central processing of pain.

Usage: Administration of 192-IgG-SAP with a 4-μg injection into the left lateral ventricle of rats. Animals were tested in temperature escape and sound stress models.

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

Schwartz M, Nguyen A, Warrier D, Palmerston J, Thomas A, Morairty S, Neylan T, Kilduff T (2016) Locus coeruleus and tuberomammillary nuclei ablations attenuate hypocretin/orexin antagonist-mediated rem sleep. eNeuro 3:ENEURO.0018-0016.2016. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0018-16.2016

Summary: To examine the mechanism by which the Orexin 1r/Orexin 2r antagonist almorexant decreases wakefulness and increases NREM and REM sleep the authors utilized Anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03) and Orexin-B-SAP (Cat. #IT-20). Rats received 3-μg injections of Anti-DBH-SAP into the LC, or bilateral 57-80 ng injections of Orexin-SAP into the TMN. Both conjugates attenuated the increased REM sleep seen upon administration of almorexant without altering almorexant-induced changes in NREM sleep.

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