Ketamine-xylazine anaesthesia and orofacial administration of substance P: A lethal combination in rats
Ketamine+xylazine mixture is a widely used anaesthetic in animal experiments. In rats anaesthetized with this mixture, we have shown that injection of carrageenan, a standard proinflammatory stimulus, into the cheek (intra-oral injection) induced oedema. A likely mediator of this oedema is substance P (SP), a major transmitter of sensory nerves in orofacial tissue. We have assessed the effects of intra-oral injection of SP in rats. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - January 22, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Janetti N. Francischi, Ta íssa Iolanda C. Frade, Marcella P.A. de Almeida, Bárbara F.G. de Queiroz, Y.S. Bakhle Source Type: research
C-tactile afferents: Cutaneous mediators of oxytocin release during affiliative tactile interactions?
Low intensity, non-noxious, stimulation of cutaneous somatosensory nerves has been shown to trigger oxytocin release and is associated with increased social motivation, plus reduced physiological and behavioural reactivity to stressors. However, to date, little attention has been paid to the specific nature of the mechanosensory nerves which mediate these effects. In recent years, the neuroscientific study of human skin nerves (microneurography studies on single peripheral nerve fibres) has led to the identification and characterisation of a class of touch sensitive nerve fibres named C-tactile afferents. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - January 18, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Susannah Walker, Paula Trotter, Will Swaney, Andrew Marshall, Francis Mcglone Tags: News and reviews Source Type: research
Neuropeptide Y neuronal network dysfunction in the frontal lobe of a genetic mouse model of schizophrenia
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has been found to play a critical role in various mental functions as a neurotransmitter and is involved in the development of schizophrenia, a particularly intractable psychiatric disease whose precise etiology remains unknown. Recent molecular biological investigations have identified several candidate genes which may be associated with this disease, including disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1). The role of DISC1 would involve neurogenesis and neuronal migration. However, the functional consequences of this gene defect have not yet been fully clarified in neuronal systems. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - January 4, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Shunsuke Morosawa, Shuji Iritani, Hiroshige Fujishiro, Hirotaka Sekiguchi, Youta Torii, Chikako Habuchi, Keisuke Kuroda, Kozo Kaibuchi, Norio Ozaki Source Type: research
Altered expression of IRS2 and GRB2 in demyelination of peripheral neurons: Implications in diabetic neuropathy
Demyelination of the peripheral nerves and dysfunction of Schwann cells (SCs) are the chronic complications involved in the development of peripheral neuropathy among diabetic patients. Insulin signaling plays an important role in restoring the myelin proteins in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Since insulin levels are altered in diabetes, it becomes of great interest to appreciate the role and regulation of docking and adaptor protein, how these proteins respond to variations in the levels of insulin as experienced in juvenile diabetes. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - December 29, 2016 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Mallahalli S. Manu, Kuruvanthe S. Rachana, Gopal M. Advirao Source Type: research
Injections of Galanin-Like Peptide directly into the nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS) reduces food intake and body weight but increases metabolic rate and plasma leptin
Galanin-Like Peptide (GALP) is a hypothalamic neuromediator of metabolism and reproduction. GALP is known to stimulate reproduction and alter food intake and body weight in multiple species. The regulation of body weight involves control of both energy intake and energy expenditure. Since GALP is known to alter food intake - possibly via the autonomic nervous system - we first hypothesized that GALP would increase metabolic rate. First, male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with intracerebroventricular (ICV) cannulae and abdominal radiotelemetry temperature transmitters. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - December 29, 2016 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Lindy Sergeant, Carla Rodriguez-Dimitrescu, Christopher C. Barney, Gregory S. Fraley Source Type: research
Neuropeptides-2015, Aberdeen University, Scotland
In autumn of 2015 the “Granite City” of Aberdeen hosted a conference entitled Neuropeptides-2015. This combined the summer symposia of the European Neuropeptide Club, the Summer Neuropeptide Conference, the British Inflammatory Research Association and Regulatory Peptides and also included a mini-symposium devoted to galanin. The conference was held in the Elphinstone Hall, which lies in the middle of the ancient and picturesque Old Aberdeen University campus, and the newly completed Duncan Rice library. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - December 29, 2016 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Alasdair MacKenzie, Erika Pinter, John Quinn Tags: News and reviews Source Type: research
The analgesic effect of orexin-A in a murine model of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain
Orexins are neuropeptides that are localized to neurons in the lateral and dorsal hypothalamus but its receptors are distributed to many different regions of the central nervous system. Orexins are implicated in a variety of physiological functions including sleep regulation, energy homeostats, and stress reactions. Furthermore, orexins administered exogenously have been shown to have analgesic effects in animal models. A type of intractable pain in patients is pain due to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - December 22, 2016 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Satoshi Toyama, Naohito Shimoyama, Megumi Shimoyama Tags: News Source Type: research
Embryonic ablation of neuronal VGF increases energy expenditure and reduces body weight
Germline ablation of VGF, a secreted neuronal, neuroendocrine, and endocrine peptide precursor, results in lean, hypermetabolic, and infertile adult mice that are resistant to diet-, lesion-, and genetically-induced obesity and diabetes (Hahm et al., 1999, 2002). To assess whether this phenotype is predominantly driven by reduced VGF expression in developing and/or adult neurons, or in peripheral endocrine and neuroendocrine tissues, we generated and analyzed conditional VGF knockout mice, obtained by mating loxP-flanked (floxed) Vgf mice with either pan-neuronal Synapsin-Cre- or forebrain alpha-CaMKII-Cre-recombinase-expr...
Source: Neuropeptides - December 18, 2016 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Cheng Jiang, Wei-Jye Lin, Masato Sadahiro, Andrew C. Shin, Christoph Buettner, Stephen R. Salton Source Type: research
Peripheral apelin-13 administration inhibits gastrointestinal motor functions in rats: The role of cholecystokinin through CCK1 receptor-mediated pathway
Apelin is the endogenous ligand of the G protein-coupled receptor APJ. The APJ receptor is widely expressed in gastrointestinal (GI) tissues including stomach and small intestine. Apelin administration was shown to induce the release of cholecystokinin (CCK) which is a well-known alimentary hormone with its inhibitory actions on GI motor functions through CCK1 receptors on vagal afferent fibers. We investigated whether; (i) peripherally injected apelin-13 alters GI motor functions, (ii) apelin-induced changes are mediated by APJ receptor or CCK1 receptor and (iii) vagal afferents are involved in inhibitory effects of apeli...
Source: Neuropeptides - December 15, 2016 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Mehmet B ülbül, Osman Sinen, İlknur Birsen, V. Nimet İzgüt-Uysal Source Type: research
Pharmacological characterization of rat VD-hemopressin( α), an α-hemoglobin-derived peptide exhibiting cannabinoid agonist-like effects in mice
Hemopressin and related peptides have shown to function as the endogenous ligands or the regulator of cannabinoid receptors. Moreover, hemopressin and its truncated peptides were also reported to produce a slight modulatory effect on opioid system. In the present work, based on the amino acid sequence analyses of hemoglobin subunit α, rat VD-hemopressin(α) [(r)VD-Hpα] was predicted as a cannabinoid peptide derived from rat α-hemoglobin. Furthermore, (r)VD-Hpα was synthesized and characterized in a series of in vitro and in vivo assays. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - December 15, 2016 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Ting Zheng, Ting Zhang, Run Zhang, Zi-Long Wang, Zheng-Lan Han, Ning Li, Xu-Hui Li, Meng-Na Zhang, Biao Xu, Xiong-Li Yang, Quan Fang, Rui Wang Source Type: research
Effects of RFamide-related peptide-1 (RFRP-1) microinjections into the central nucleus of amygdala on passive avoidance learning in rats
The amygdaloid body (AMY) plays an important role in memory, learning and reward-related processes. RFRP-1 immunoreactive fibers and NPFF receptors were identified in the AMY, and previously we verified that RFRP-1 infused into the central nucleus of AMY (CeA) induced place preference. The aim of the present study was to examine the possible effects of RFRP-1 in the CeA on passive avoidance learning. Male Wistar rats were examined in two-compartment passive avoidance paradigm. Animals were shocked with 0.5mA current and subsequently were microinjected bilaterally with 50ng or 100ng RFRP-1 in volume of 0.4 μl, or 20ng NPFF...
Source: Neuropeptides - December 12, 2016 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Anita Kov ács, Kristóf László, Olga Zagoracz, Tamás Ollmann, László Péczely, Rita Gálosi, László Lénárd Source Type: research
Role of hemokinin-1 in health and disease
Hemokinin-1 (HK-1), the newest tachykinin encoded by the Tac4 gene was discovered in 2000. Its name differs from that of the other members of this peptide family due to its first demonstration in B lymphocytes. Since tachykinins are classically found in the nervous system, the significant expression of HK-1 in blood cells is a unique feature of this peptide. Due to its widespread distribution in the whole body, HK-1 is involved in different physiological and pathophysiological functions involving pain inflammation modulation, immune regulation, respiratory and endocrine functions, as well as tumor genesis. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - December 12, 2016 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Éva Borbély, Zsuzsanna Helyes Tags: News and reviews Source Type: research
AAV-mediated IL-10 gene transfer counteracts inflammation in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus and obesity induced by high-fat diet
Consumption of high-fat diet (HFD) induces energy imbalance and consequently obesity. In the pathogenesis of obesity, HFD triggers inflammation in the hypothalamus including arcuate nucleus (ARC). Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a representative anti-inflammatory cytokine, known to ameliorate the adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in obesity. However, the effect of IL-10 on the hypothalamic inflammation remains less defined. We here report the effect of over-expression of murine IL-10 using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector on the inflammation in ARC and feeding behavior in HFD-induced obese (DIO) mice. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - December 4, 2016 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Masanori Nakata, Sawako Yamamoto, Takashi Okada, Toshihiko Yada Source Type: research
Central administration of neuropeptide Y differentially regulates monoamines and corticosterone in heat-exposed fed and fasted chicks
This study was conducted to investigate whether centrally administered NPY affects food intake, rectal temperature, monoamines, stress hormones and plasma metabolites in chicks under high ambient temperatures (HT). Five or six-day-old chicks were centrally injected with 0, 188 or 375pmol of NPY and exposed to either HT (35 ±1°C) or a control thermoneutral temperature (CT; 30±1°C) for 3h whilst fed or fasted. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - December 4, 2016 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Mohammad A. Bahry, Vishwajit S. Chowdhury, Hui Yang, Phuong V. Tran, Phong H. Do, Guofeng Han, Hiromi Ikeda, John F. Cockrem, Mitsuhiro Furuse Source Type: research
Using the CRISPR/Cas9 system to understand neuropeptide biology and regulation
Neuropeptides and their receptors play a role in physiological responses such as appetite, stress and inflammatory pain. With neuropeptides having such diverse and important physiological roles, knocking-out the genes encoding them, their receptors, parts of their regulatory sequences, or reproducing disease associated polymorphic variants are important steps in studying neuropeptides and how they may contribute to disease. Previously, knock-outs were generated using methods such as targeted homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells but this method is costly and time-consuming. (Source: Neuropeptides)
Source: Neuropeptides - December 1, 2016 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Elizabeth A. Hay, Christopher Knowles, Andreas Kolb, Alasdair MacKenzie Tags: News and reviews Source Type: research
