Brain research
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Serotonergic neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) cease firing during active sleep (AS, also called rapid-eye-movement sleep). This cessation of electrical activity is believed to play a 'permissive' role in the generation of AS. In the present study we explored the possibility that GABAergic cells in the DRN are involved in the suppression of serotonergic activity during AS. ⋯ These GABA+ Fos+ neurons were distributed asymmetrically with a larger number located ipsilaterally to the site of injection. There was no significant difference between control and experimental animals in the number of non-GABAergic neurons that expressed c-fos in the DRN. We therefore suggest that activated GABAergic neurons of the DRN are responsible for the inhibition of serotonergic neurons that occurs during natural AS.
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Delivery of valproic acid (VPA) to the human brain is relatively inefficient as reflected by a low brain-to-unbound plasma concentration ratio (< or =0.5) at steady state. Previous pharmacokinetic studies suggested that the unfavorable brain-to-plasma gradient is maintained by coupled efflux transport processes at both the brain parenchymal cells and blood-brain barrier (BBB); one or both of the efflux transporters are inhibitable by probenecid. The present study in rabbits utilized microdialysis to measure drug concentration in the brain extracellular fluid (ECF) of the cerebral cortex during steady-state i.v. infusion with VPA alone or with VPA plus probenecid. ⋯ The ECF-to-unbound plasma concentration ratio was well below unity (0.029), indicating an uphill efflux transport of VPA across the BBB. Co-infusion of probenecid did not have a significant effect on VPA efflux at the BBB as evidenced by a minimal change in the ECF-to-unbound plasma concentration ratio. This study suggests the presence of distinctly different organic anion transporters for the efflux of VPA at the parenchymal cells and capillary endothelium in the brain.
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Brain hypothermia has been reported to protect against ischemic damages in adult animals. Our goal in this study was to examine whether brain hypothermia attenuates ischemic neuronal damages in the hippocampus of aged animals. We also determined effects of hypothermia on ischemia-induced releases of amino acids in the hippocampus. ⋯ E. M.) and moderate hypothermic rats (0.8+/-0.3) compared with the normothermic ones (3.4+/-0.4). These results suggest that brain hypothermia protects against ischemic neuronal damages even in the aged animals, and the protection is associated with inhibition of excessive effluxes of both excitatory and inhibitory amino acids.
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This study used the peptides omega-conotoxin GVIA, omega-agatoxin IVA and omega-conotoxin MVIIC, singly and in combination, to investigate the relative involvement of N-, P- and Q-type voltage-operated calcium channels in the control of striatal dopamine release. Electrically stimulated dopamine release was measured by fast cyclic voltammetry at carbon fibre microelectrodes in rat striatal slices. The contribution of these channel subtypes was compared in dorsolateral and medial neostriatum for 'regular' (discrete) and 'burst' stimulation modalities. ⋯ In both regions and stimulation paradigms, N-type channels played a greater role than P/Q-type channels. In the medial axis of the neostriatum there was a smaller contribution by N- and P-type channels and the unidentified component, but a greater Q-type contribution to DA release. 'Burst' stimulations induced a lesser involvement of N- and P-type channels than discrete stimulations, and a greater role of the unidentified component. In summary, this study suggests that there is heterogeneity in the distribution of functional voltage-operated calcium channel subtypes in the neostriatum, and differences in subtype recruitment for different firing patterns.
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Substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) released from primary sensory neurons are known to play important roles in nociception and nociceptive transmission. In the present study, we attempted to clarify the roles of these neuropeptides in the regulation of axonal transport in sensory neurons. Cells were isolated from adult mouse dorsal root ganglia and cultured in F-12 medium containing fetal bovine serum for 48 h until their neurites were grown. ⋯ In contrast, alpha-CGRP (100 nM) increased the number of particles transported in both directions in each of DRG neurons tested (n=5), and also increased the instantaneous velocities of particles transported bidirectionally. Application of beta-CGRP (100-1000 nM) did not elicit any effect on axonal transport. Therefore, axonal transport in sensory neurons seems to be modulated by substance P and alpha-CGRP, both of which can be derived from its own and adjacent sensory neurons.