Editorial Board
(Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - April 1, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research
Enhancement of μ-opioid receptor desensitization by orexin-A in rat locus coeruleus neurons
Opioids have always been used in clinical practice for pain management. However, development of tolerance to their effects following long term administration, seriously restricts further clinical use of these drugs. In this regard, μ-opioid receptor (MOR) desensitization, as an initial step in development of opioid tolerance, is of particular significance. Previous studies support the involvement of orexinergic system in development of opioid tolerance. Locus coeruleus (LC) nucleus has been shown to modulate pain and developm ent of tolerance. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - March 23, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: S. Mohammad Ahmadi Soleimani, Hossein Azizi, Narges Pachenari, Javad Mirnajafi-Zadeh, Saeed Semnanian Source Type: research
The SNK and SPAR signaling pathway changes in hippocampal neurons treated with amyloid-beta peptide in vitro
Amyloid- β peptide (Aβ) is believed to be a primary cause of Alzheimer's disease. Many studies have demonstrated that Aβ causes morphological and functional alterations of dendritic spines, leading to synaptic dysfunction, but the effect of Aβ on damage to synaptic functions is not fully understood. Spin e-associated Rap guanosine triphosphatase-activating protein (SPAR) is an important regulator of activity-dependent remodeling of synapses and is critically involved in both mature dendritic spine formation and the maintenance of spine maturity. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - March 22, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Hua Sui, Libin Zhan, Xinping Niu, Lina Liang, Xin Li Source Type: research
Adiponectin at physiological level glucose-independently enhances inhibitory postsynaptic current onto NPY neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus
Adiponectin regulates glucose and lipid metabolism, acting against atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome. Accumulating evidences suggest that adiponectin acts on the brain including the arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus (ARC). The ARC contains orexigenic neuropeptide Y (NPY)/agouti related peptide (AgRP) neurons and anorexigenic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons, the first order neurons for feeding regulation. We recently reported that intracerebroventricular injection of adiponectin at low glucose level suppressed food intake, while at elevated glucose level it promoted food intake, exhibiting glucose-dependent reciprocal...
Source: Neuropeptides - March 22, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Shigetomo Suyama, Wang Lei, Naoto Kubota, Takashi Kadowaki, Toshihiko Yada Source Type: research
The effects of endothelin-1 on satellite glial cells in peripheral ganglia
Endothelins (ET) are a family of highly active neuropeptides with manifold influences via ET receptors (ETR) in both the peripheral and central nervous systems. We have shown previously that satellite glial cells (SGCs) in mouse trigeminal ganglia (TG) are extremely sensitive to ET-1 in evoking [Ca2+]in increase, apparently via ETBR activation, but there is no functional information on ETR in SGCs of other peripheral ganglia. Here we tested the effects of ET-1 on SGCs in nodose ganglia (NG), which is sensory, and superior cervical ganglia (Sup-CG), which is part of the sympathetic nervous system, and further investigated t...
Source: Neuropeptides - March 17, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Rachel Feldman-Goriachnik, Menachem Hanani Source Type: research
Pharmacotherapy in smoking cessation: Corticotropin Releasing Factor receptors as emerging intervention targets
Smoking represents perhaps the single most important health risk factor and a global contributor to mortality that can unquestionably be prevented. Smoking is responsible for many diseases, including various types of cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and peptic ulcer, while it adversely affects fetal formation and development. Since smoking habit duration is a critical factor for mortality, the goal of treatment should be its timely cessation and relapse prevention. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - February 13, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Ioannis Sotiriou, Kleanthi Chalkiadaki, Nikolaidis Christos, Kyriaki Sidiropoulou, Ekaterini Chatzaki Tags: News and reviews Source Type: research
Neuropeptide S reduces propofol- or ketamine-induced slow wave states through activation of cognate receptors in the rat
Intracerebroventricular injection of NPS reduces the duration of the ketamine- or thiopental-induced loss of the righting reflex in rats. But the specific EEG activities are unknown. We therefore sought to examine the effects of the NPS-NPSR system on anesthetic-induced characteristics of EEG power spectra and sleep-wake profiles. NPS alone or together with an NPSR antagonist was injected intracerebroventricularly, whereas the propofol (50mg/kg) or ketamine (100mg/kg) was administrated intraperitoneally. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - February 13, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Xiang-Pan Kong, Can Wang, Jun-Fan Xie, Peng Zhao, Li-Rong Dai, Yu-Feng Shao, Jian-Sheng Lin, Yi-Ping Hou Source Type: research
Central action of xenin affects the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes and proteins in mouse white adipose tissue
Xenin is a gastrointestinal hormone that reduces food intake when administered centrally and it has been hypothesized that central action of xenin participates in the regulation of whole-body metabolism. The present study was performed to address this hypothesis by investigating the central effect of xenin on the expression of genes and proteins that are involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism in white adipose tissue (WAT). Male obese ob/ob mice received intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injections of xenin (5 μg) twice 12h apart. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - February 9, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Sharma Bhavya, Pei San Lew, Tooru M. Mizuno Source Type: research
Evidence for a novel, neurohumoral antinociceptive mechanism mediated by peripheral capsaicin-sensitive nociceptors in conscious rats
Stimulation of capsaicin-sensitive peripheral sensory nerve terminals induces remote anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body of anesthetized rats and guinea-pigs mediated by somatostatin. As somatostatin has also antinociceptive effects, the study aimed at investigating whether similar remote antinociceptive effects can be demonstrated in awake animals.In conscious rats, nociceptive nerve endings of the right hind paw decentralized by cutting the sciatic and saphenous nerves 18h before were chemically stimulated, and drop of the noxious heat threshold (heat hyperalgesia) induced by prior (18h before) plantar incision...
Source: Neuropeptides - February 9, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: G ábor Pethő, Kata Bölcskei, Réka Füredi, Bálint Botz, Teréz Bagoly, Erika Pintér, János Szolcsányi Source Type: research
Stimulation of rat cranial dura mater with potassium chloride causes CGRP release into the cerebrospinal fluid and increases medullary blood flow
Primary headaches may be accompanied by increased intracranial blood flow induced by the release of the potent vasodilator calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from activated meningeal afferents. We aimed to record meningeal and medullary blood flow simultaneously and to localize the sites of CGRP release in rodent preparations in vivo and ex vivo.Blood flow in the exposed rat parietal dura mater and the medulla oblongata was recorded by laser Doppler flowmetry, while the dura was stimulated by topical application of 60mM potassium chloride (KCl). (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - February 9, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: M ária Dux, Christine Will, Mirjam Eberhardt, Michael J.M. Fischer, Karl Messlinger Source Type: research
A screen for modulators reveals that orexin-A rapidly stimulates thyrotropin releasing hormone expression and release in hypothalamic cell culture
In the paraventricular nucleus of the mammalian hypothalamus, hypophysiotropic thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) neurons integrate metabolic information and control the activity of the thyroid axis. Additional populations of TRH neurons reside in various hypothalamic areas, with poorly defined connections and functions, albeit there is evidence that some may be related to energy balance. To identify new extracellular modulators of TRH hypothalamic neurons activity, we performed a screen of neurotransmitters effects in hypothalamic cultures. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - January 31, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Antonieta Cote-V élez, Anabel Martínez Báez, Leticia Lezama, Rosa María Uribe, Patricia Joseph-Bravo, Jean-Louis Charli Source Type: research
Altered functionality of the corticotrophin-releasing hormone receptor-2 in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of hyperphagic maternally separated rats
Early-life stress induces endocrine and metabolic alterations that increase food intake and overweight in adulthood. The stress response activates the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and urocortins' (Ucns) system in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). These peptides induce anorexic effects through CRH-R2 receptor activation; however, chronic stressed animals develop hyperphagia despite of high PVN CRH expression.We analyzed this paradoxical behavior in adult rats subjected to maternal separation (MS) for 180min/daily during post-natal days 2 –14, evaluating their body weight gain, food intake, serum cor...
Source: Neuropeptides - January 31, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: V Alc ántara-Alonso, M.I. Amaya, G Matamoros-Trejo, P de Gortari Source Type: research
The neuropeptides Galanin and Galanin(1 –15) in depression-like behaviours
Galanin is a 29 amino acid neuropeptide widely distributed in neurons within the central nervous system. Galanin exerts its biological activities through three different G protein-receptors and participates in a number of functions, including mood regulation. Not only Galanin but also Galanin N-terminal fragments like Galanin(1 –15) are active at the central level. In this work, we review the latest findings in studies on Galanin and Galanin(1–15) in depression-related behaviours. Our focus is on animal models for depression, and we pay some attention to research data obtained in human studies. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - January 29, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Carmelo Mill ón, Antonio Flores-Burgess, Manuel Narváez, Dasiel O. Borroto-Escuela, Belén Gago, Luis Santín, Estela Castilla-Ortega, José Ángel Narváez, Kjell Fuxe, Zaida Díaz-Cabiale Tags: News and reviews Source Type: research
Editorial Board
(Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - January 26, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research
ICV galanin-like peptide stimulates non-contact erections but not touch-based erections in adult, sexually experienced male rats
Galanin-like peptide (GALP) is a neuropeptide transcribed only within the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus and is thought to be a mediator between energetics and reproductive function. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of GALP is known to have effects on feeding, and to significantly increase gonadotropin releasing hormone- (GnRH-) mediated luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. Furthermore, ICV GALP is known to stimulate fos production in the medial pre-optic area (mPOA) and to a lesser extent, the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - January 22, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Gregory S. Fraley Source Type: research
