Article
Clinical Neurology
Sara Alvente, Chiara Berteotti, Stefano Bastianini, Viviana Lo Martire, Gabriele Matteoli, Alessandro Silvani, Giovanna Zoccoli
Summary: The study found that in orexin-deficient mouse models, higher arterial pressure during sleep and smaller differences in arterial pressure between sleep and wakefulness are mediated by alterations in cardiovascular sympathetic control.
Article
Neurosciences
Yuning Liu, Hong Xing, Wanhui Sheng, Kyle N. Singh, Alexandra G. Korkmaz, Caroline Comeau, Maisha Anika, Alexis Ernst, Fumiaki Yokoi, David E. Vaillancourt, Charles J. Frazier, Yuqing Li
Summary: Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder characterized by muscle contractions, repetitive movement, and abnormal postures. Most patients with DYT1 dystonia carry a genetic mutation causing a loss of a glutamic acid. Treatment with anticholinergics is common. Research shows that DYT1 dystonia has cell-autonomous effects on striatal cholinergic interneurons.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Kelly L. Sams, Chinatsu Mukai, Brooke A. Marks, Chitvan Mittal, Elena Alina Demeter, Sophie Nelissen, Jennifer K. Grenier, Ann E. Tate, Faraz Ahmed, Scott A. Coonrod
Summary: By creating a Padi2/Padi4 double knockout (DKO) mouse model, this study found a series of abnormalities in DKO mice in terms of reproduction, such as longer time to sire litters, lighter weight, delayed puberty, lower testosterone levels, and smaller testes. This provides a new tool for investigating PAD function and the first in vivo evidence linking PAD proteins with hormone signaling.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY AND ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Ryan J. Keenan, Sara Oberrauch, Romke Bron, Cameron J. Nowell, Leesa M. Challis, Daniel Hoyer, Laura H. Jacobson
Summary: The research indicates that tau protein may impact the orexin system, including LC OX(1)Rs, shedding light on the mechanism of sleep/wake disturbances in AD and FTD.
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Tomohisa Mori, Naoki Uzawa, Daiki Masukawa, Shigeto Hirayama, Yoshiyuki Iwase, Mayuna Hokazono, Yuya Udagawa, Tsutomu Suzuki
Summary: Orexinergic system is involved in regulating the rewarding effects of psychostimulants, but there is a risk of establishing these effects even under orexin deficiency. Conversely, deficiencies in orexin may enhance the abuse liability of MDMA by changing a postsynaptic signal transduction accompanied by changes in discriminative stimulus effects themselves.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kengo Suzuki, Yoshiaki Ohi, Toyohiro Sato, Yo Tsuda, Yuta Madokoro, Masayuki Mizuno, Kenichi Adachi, Yuto Uchida, Akira Haji, Kosei Ojika, Noriyuki Matsukawa
Summary: Cholinergic activation and glutamatergic dysfunction in the hippocampus are closely related. The study shows the importance of hippocampal cholinergic neurostimulating peptide (HCNP) in acetylcholine synthesis and suggests that HCNP-pp KO mice can serve as genetic models for cholinergic functional impairment. The findings support the cholinergic hypothesis and suggest that the model mice may be potential partial pathological animal models for Alzheimer's disease.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ashley R. Helseth, Ricardo Hernandez-Martinez, Victoria L. Hall, Matthew L. Oliver, Brandon D. Turner, Zachary F. Caffall, Joseph E. Rittiner, Miranda K. Shipman, Connor S. King, Viviana Gradinaru, Charles Gerfen, Mauro Costa-Mattioli, Nicole Calakos
Summary: A study found a class of neurons in mouse brain, in which the integrated stress response was activated at steady state, playing a neuromodulatory role in learning.
Article
Immunology
Davide Cossu, Kazumasa Yokoyama, Shigeto Sato, Sachiko Noda, Tamami Sakanishi, Leonardo Antonio Sechi, Nobutaka Hattori
Summary: Research shows that PINK1 protein plays a crucial role in modulating the immune response during EAE, potentially contributing to the pathogenesis of neuroinflammatory and other associated conditions.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lengyun Wei, Xianlong Ye, Siyuan Cui, Dashuai Li, Shenglong Zhu
Summary: This study investigates the role of free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFAR4) and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in metabolic disorders. The findings reveal that FFAR4 deficiency leads to increased levels of FGF21, and the double knockout of FGF21 and FFAR4 results in severe metabolic abnormalities likely caused by decreased energy expenditure.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yuko Kondo-Takuma, Masayuki Mizuno, Yo Tsuda, Yuta Madokoro, Kengo Suzuki, Toyohiro Sato, Hiroshi Takase, Yuto Uchida, Ken-Ichi Adachi, Hideki Hida, Cesario Borlongan, Noriyuki Matsukawa
Summary: The cholinergic efferent network from the medial septal nucleus to the hippocampus is important for learning and memory processes. HCNP, a peptide involved in acetylcholine synthesis, plays a role in regulating acetylcholine release and incorporation into synaptic vesicles in the hippocampus. Knockout mice lacking HCNP-pp exhibited reduced acetylcholine release and levels of vesicular acetylcholine transporter in the hippocampus, indicating a potential role for HCNP in the cholinergic regulation of the septo-hippocampal network.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Bin Li, Leilei Chang, Xiaochun Peng
Summary: Orexin, mainly synthesized in the lateral hypothalamus/perifornical area, is implicated in feeding, sleep-wake cycles, and reward. Activation of OX2R in the NAc shell has been found to play a role in regulating acute stress-induced anxiety, suggesting OX2R antagonist as a potential treatment for anxiety disorders.
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Catia R. Lopes, Vanessa S. Lourenco, Angelo R. Tome, Rodrigo A. Cunha, Paula M. Canas
Summary: The study explores the role of adenosine receptors in the brain, indicating the potential of A1R in neurodegeneration and A2AR in psychiatric conditions. Transgenic mouse experiments reveal the different roles of A2AR in various cell types and brain areas, emphasizing the regulatory role of adenosine in the brain and uncovering potential mechanisms of action.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Jie Gao, Nian Zhou, Yongkang Wu, Mengna Lu, Qixue Wang, Chenyi Xia, Mingmei Zhou, Ying Xu
Summary: PS cDKO mice show metabolic and microbiotic changes at both early and mature ages, with disturbed metabolic pathways involving glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, starch and sucrose metabolism, and citrate cycle. The altered gut microbiota, including increases in Lactobacillus and decreases in norank_f_Muribaculaceae, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Mucispirillum, and Odoribacter, are associated with differential metabolite levels.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Hiroshi Tsuneki, Masanori Sugiyama, Kiyofumi Sato, Hisakatsu Ito, Sanaka Nagai, Kanta Kon, Tsutomu Wada, Nao Kobayashi, Takuya Okada, Naoki Toyooka, Masashi Kawasaki, Toshihiro Ito, Ryota Otsubo, Daisuke Okuzaki, Teruhito Yasui, Toshiyasu Sasaoka
Summary: The drug lemborexant, used to treat insomnia, has been found to have a positive effect on sleep and glucose metabolism in individuals with type 2 diabetes. In experiments, lemborexant increased sleep duration and improved glucose tolerance in db/db mice. This improvement did not affect body weight or insulin secretion.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lucie Valek, Bao Ngoc Tran, Irmgard Tegeder
Summary: The study found that nucleoredoxin (NXN) plays an important role in regulating thermal sensation and nociception. The loss of NXN in neurons leads to increased sensitivity to cold temperature and heightened heat nociception in mice. These abnormal responses are associated with changes in calcium influx, mitochondrial dysfunction, and increased density of neurite trees in sensory neurons.
FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2022)