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Beekly BG, Frankel WC, Berg T, Allen SJ, Garcia-Galiano D, Vanini G, Elias CF. Dissociated Pmch and Cre Expression in Lactating Pmch-Cre BAC Transgenic Mice. Front Neuroanat 2020; 14:60. [PMID: 32982701 PMCID: PMC7475711 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2020.00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) system plays a role in many physiological processes including reproduction and lactation. However, research regarding the function of MCH on different aspects of the reproductive function lags, due in part to a lack of validated genetic models with which to interrogate the system. This is particularly true in the case of female reproduction, as the anatomy and function of the MCH system is not well-characterized in the female mouse. We set out to determine whether the commercially available Pmch-Cre transgenic mouse line is a viable model to study the role of MCH neurons in distinct female reproductive states. We found that Pmch is transiently expressed in several nuclei of the rostral forebrain at the end of lactation. This includes the medial subdivision of the medial preoptic nucleus, the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, the ventral subdivision of the lateral septum, the anterodorsal preoptic nucleus and the anterodorsal nucleus of the thalamus. The Pmch expression in these sites, however, does not reliably induce Cre expression in the Pmch-Cre (BAC) transgenic mouse, making this line an inadequate model with which to study the role of MCH in behavioral and/or neuroendocrine adaptations of lactation. We also contribute to the general knowledge of the anatomy of the murine MCH system by showing that lactation-induced Pmch expression in the rostral forebrain is mostly observed in GABAergic (VGAT) neurons, in contrast to the typical MCH neurons of the tuberal and posterior hypothalamus which are glutamatergic (VGLUT2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany G Beekly
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - William C Frankel
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Tova Berg
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Susan J Allen
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - David Garcia-Galiano
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Giancarlo Vanini
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Carol F Elias
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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2
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Diniz GB, Battagello DS, Cherubini PM, Reyes-Mendoza JD, Luna-Illades C, Klein MO, Motta-Teixeira LC, Sita LV, Miranda-Anaya M, Morales T, Bittencourt JC. Melanin-concentrating hormone peptidergic system: Comparative morphology between muroid species. J Comp Neurol 2019; 527:2973-3001. [PMID: 31152440 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a conserved neuropeptide, predominantly located in the diencephalon of vertebrates, and associated with a wide range of functions. While functional studies have focused on the use of the traditional mouse laboratory model, critical gaps exist in our understanding of the morphology of the MCH system in this species. Even less is known about the nontraditional animal model Neotomodon alstoni (Mexican volcano mouse). A comparative morphological study among these rodents may, therefore, contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of the MCH peptidergic system. To this end, we employed diverse immunohistochemical protocols to identify key aspects of the MCH system, including its spatial relationship to another neurochemical population of the tuberal hypothalamus, the orexins. Three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions were also employed to convey a better sense of spatial distribution to these neurons. Our results show that the distribution of MCH neurons in all rodents studied follows a basic plan, but individual characteristics are found for each species, such as the preeminence of a periventricular group only in the rat, the lack of posterior groups in the mouse, and the extensive presence of MCH neurons in the anterior hypothalamic area of Neotomodon. Taken together, these data suggest a strong anatomical substrate for previously described functions of the MCH system, and that particular neurochemical and morphological features may have been determinant to species-specific phenotypes in rodent evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanne B Diniz
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniella S Battagello
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Pedro M Cherubini
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Julio D Reyes-Mendoza
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Cesar Luna-Illades
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Marianne O Klein
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lívia C Motta-Teixeira
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luciane V Sita
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Manuel Miranda-Anaya
- Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Teresa Morales
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Jackson C Bittencourt
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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3
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da Silva Pacheco S, Araujo Rondini T, Cioni Bittencourt J, Fuzeti Elias C. Neurons expressing estrogen receptor α differentially innervate the periaqueductal gray matter of female rats. J Chem Neuroanat 2019; 97:33-42. [PMID: 30703434 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2019.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) is a brainstem site involved in distinct autonomic and behavioral responses. Among them, the motor control of female sexual behavior, including lordosis, is well described. Lordosis reflex is highly dependent on increasing levels of estradiol that occur in the afternoon of the proestrus day in normally cycling females. This effect is thought to be mediated primarily via actions in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH). By binding to estrogen receptor α (ERα), estradiol changes the activity of VMH neurons that project to the PAG. Evidence also exists for the coordination of PAG outputs by estradiol-responsive neurons outside the VMH. However, a comprehensive analysis of these circuitries is not available. Using stereotaxic injection of the retrograde tracer Fluorogold in distinct columns of the PAG we performed a systematic mapping of neurons innervating the PAG and those coexpressing ERα immunoreactivity. We found that the forebrain projections to PAG columns are largely segregated and that most of the ERα expressing neurons preferentially target the lateral and the ventrolateral columns. Dual labeled neurons were mostly found in the intermediate subdivision of the lateral septal nucleus, the posterior aspect of the medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the medial preoptic nucleus, the striohypothalamic nucleus and the ventrolateral VMH. Few dual labeled neurons were also observed in the arcuate nucleus, in the posterodorsal subdivision of the medial nucleus of the amygdala and in the ventral premammillary nucleus. Our findings indicate that ERα modulates sexual behavior in female rats via an integrated neural network that differentially innervate the columns of the PAG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana da Silva Pacheco
- Laboratory of Chemical Neuroanatomy, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil; University Hospital, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil
| | | | - Jackson Cioni Bittencourt
- Laboratory of Chemical Neuroanatomy, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Carol Fuzeti Elias
- Departments of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5622, United States.
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4
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Costa A, Castro-Zaballa S, Lagos P, Chase MH, Torterolo P. Distribution of MCH-containing fibers in the feline brainstem: Relevance for REM sleep regulation. Peptides 2018; 104:50-61. [PMID: 29680268 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2018.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Neurons that utilize melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) as a neuromodulator are localized in the postero-lateral hypothalamus and incerto-hypothalamic area. These neurons project diffusely throughout the central nervous system and have been implicated in critical physiological processes, such as sleep. Unlike rodents, in the order carnivora as well as in humans, MCH exerts its biological functions through two receptors: MCHR-1 and MCHR-2. Hence, the cat is an optimal animal to model MCHergic functions in humans. In the present study, we examined the distribution of MCH-positive fibers in the brainstem of the cat. MCHergic axons with distinctive varicosities and boutons were heterogeneously distributed, exhibiting different densities in distinct regions of the brainstem. High density of MCHergic fibers was found in the dorsal raphe nucleus, the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus, the periaqueductal gray, the pendunculopontine tegmental nucleus, the locus coeruleus and the prepositus hypoglossi. Because these areas are involved in the control of REM sleep, the present anatomical data support the role of this neuropeptidergic system in the control of this behavioral state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Costa
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | | | - Patricia Lagos
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Michael H Chase
- WebSciences International and UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Pablo Torterolo
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Uruguay.
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5
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Diniz GB, Bittencourt JC. The Melanin-Concentrating Hormone as an Integrative Peptide Driving Motivated Behaviors. Front Syst Neurosci 2017; 11:32. [PMID: 28611599 PMCID: PMC5447028 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2017.00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is an important peptide implicated in the control of motivated behaviors. History, however, made this peptide first known for its participation in the control of skin pigmentation, from which its name derives. In addition to this peripheral role, MCH is strongly implicated in motivated behaviors, such as feeding, drinking, mating and, more recently, maternal behavior. It is suggested that MCH acts as an integrative peptide, converging sensory information and contributing to a general arousal of the organism. In this review, we will discuss the various aspects of energy homeostasis to which MCH has been associated to, focusing on the different inputs that feed the MCH peptidergic system with information regarding the homeostatic status of the organism and the exogenous sensory information that drives this system, as well as the outputs that allow MCH to act over a wide range of homeostatic and behavioral controls, highlighting the available morphological and hodological aspects that underlie these integrative actions. Besides the well-described role of MCH in feeding behavior, a prime example of hypothalamic-mediated integration, we will also examine those functions in which the participation of MCH has not yet been extensively characterized, including sexual, maternal, and defensive behaviors. We also evaluated the available data on the distribution of MCH and its function in the context of animals in their natural environment. Finally, we briefly comment on the evidence for MCH acting as a coordinator between different modalities of motivated behaviors, highlighting the most pressing open questions that are open for investigations and that could provide us with important insights about hypothalamic-dependent homeostatic integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanne B. Diniz
- Laboratory of Chemical Neuroanatomy, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jackson C. Bittencourt
- Laboratory of Chemical Neuroanatomy, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
- Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
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6
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Sita LV, Diniz GB, Canteras NS, Xavier GF, Bittencourt JC. Effect of intrahippocampal administration of anti-melanin-concentrating hormone on spatial food-seeking behavior in rats. Peptides 2016; 76:130-8. [PMID: 26804300 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2015.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Revised: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a hypothalamic peptide that plays a critical role in the regulation of food intake and energy metabolism. In this study, we investigated the potential role of dense hippocampal MCH innervation in the spatially oriented food-seeking component of feeding behavior. Rats were trained for eight sessions to seek food buried in an arena using the working memory version of the food-seeking behavior (FSB) task. The testing day involved a bilateral anti-MCH injection into the hippocampal formation followed by two trials. The anti-MCH injection did not interfere with the performance during the first trial on the testing day, which was similar to the training trials. However, during the second testing trial, when no food was presented in the arena, the control subjects exhibited a dramatic increase in the latency to initiate digging. Treatment with an anti-MCH antibody did not interfere with either the food-seeking behavior or the spatial orientation of the subjects, but the increase in the latency to start digging observed in the control subjects was prevented. These results are discussed in terms of a potential MCH-mediated hippocampal role in the integration of the sensory information necessary for decision-making in the pre-ingestive component of feeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciane Valéria Sita
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo-USP, 05508-000 Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovanne Baroni Diniz
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo-USP, 05508-000 Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Newton Sabino Canteras
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo-USP, 05508-000 Sao Paulo, Brazil; Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo, 05508-030 Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gilberto Fernando Xavier
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biosciences, University of Sao Paulo-USP, 05508-090 Sao Paulo, Brazil; Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo, 05508-030 Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jackson Cioni Bittencourt
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo-USP, 05508-000 Sao Paulo, Brazil; Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo, 05508-030 Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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7
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Konadhode RR, Pelluru D, Shiromani PJ. Neurons containing orexin or melanin concentrating hormone reciprocally regulate wake and sleep. Front Syst Neurosci 2015; 8:244. [PMID: 25620917 PMCID: PMC4287014 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons containing orexin (hypocretin), or melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) are intermingled with each other in the perifornical and lateral hypothalamus. Each is a separate and distinct neuronal population, but they project to similar target areas in the brain. Orexin has been implicated in regulating arousal since loss of orexin neurons is associated with the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Microinjections of orexin into the brain or optogenetic stimulation of orexin neurons increase waking. Orexin neurons are active in waking and quiescent in sleep, which is consistent with their role in promoting waking. On the other hand, the MCH neurons are quiet in waking but active in sleep, suggesting that they could initiate sleep. Recently, for the first time the MCH neurons were stimulated optogenetically and it increased sleep. Indeed, optogenetic activation of MCH neurons induced sleep in both mice and rats at a circadian time when they should be awake, indicating the powerful effect that MCH neurons have in suppressing the wake-promoting effect of not only orexin but also of all of the other arousal neurotransmitters. Gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is coexpressed with MCH in the MCH neurons, although MCH is also inhibitory. The inhibitory tone of the MCH neurons is opposite to the excitatory tone of the orexin neurons. We hypothesize that strength in activity of each determines wake vs. sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roda Rani Konadhode
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Dheeraj Pelluru
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Priyattam J Shiromani
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC, USA ; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC, USA
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8
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Weissmann L, Quaresma PGF, Santos AC, de Matos AHB, Pascoal VDB, Zanotto TM, Castro G, Guadagnini D, da Silva JM, Velloso LA, Bittencourt JC, Lopes-Cendes I, Saad MJA, Prada PO. IKKε is key to induction of insulin resistance in the hypothalamus, and its inhibition reverses obesity. Diabetes 2014; 63:3334-45. [PMID: 24812431 DOI: 10.2337/db13-1817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
IKK epsilon (IKKε) is induced by the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). Whole-body IKKε knockout mice on a high-fat diet (HFD) were protected from insulin resistance and showed altered energy balance. We demonstrate that IKKε is expressed in neurons and is upregulated in the hypothalamus of obese mice, contributing to insulin and leptin resistance. Blocking IKKε in the hypothalamus of obese mice with CAYMAN10576 or small interfering RNA decreased NF-κB activation in this tissue, relieving the inflammatory environment. Inhibition of IKKε activity, but not TBK1, reduced IRS-1(Ser307) phosphorylation and insulin and leptin resistance by an improvement of the IR/IRS-1/Akt and JAK2/STAT3 pathways in the hypothalamus. These improvements were independent of body weight and food intake. Increased insulin and leptin action/signaling in the hypothalamus may contribute to a decrease in adiposity and hypophagia and an enhancement of energy expenditure accompanied by lower NPY and increased POMC mRNA levels. Improvement of hypothalamic insulin action decreases fasting glycemia, glycemia after pyruvate injection, and PEPCK protein expression in the liver of HFD-fed and db/db mice, suggesting a reduction in hepatic glucose production. We suggest that IKKε may be a key inflammatory mediator in the hypothalamus of obese mice, and its hypothalamic inhibition improves energy and glucose metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laís Weissmann
- Department of Internal Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paula G F Quaresma
- Department of Internal Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andressa C Santos
- Department of Internal Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandre H B de Matos
- Department of Internal Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Tamires M Zanotto
- Department of Internal Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gisele Castro
- Department of Internal Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dioze Guadagnini
- Department of Internal Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Licio A Velloso
- Department of Internal Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jackson C Bittencourt
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Iscia Lopes-Cendes
- Department of Internal Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mario J A Saad
- Department of Internal Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Patricia O Prada
- Department of Internal Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil School of Applied Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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9
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Messanvi F, Eggens-Meijer E, Roozendaal B, van der Want JJ. A discrete dopaminergic projection from the incertohypothalamic A13 cell group to the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray in rat. Front Neuroanat 2013; 7:41. [PMID: 24367297 PMCID: PMC3853869 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2013.00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Several findings have indicated an involvement of dopamine in panic and defensive behaviors. The dorsolateral column of the periaqueductal gray (dlPAG) is crucially involved in the expression of panic attacks in humans and defensive behaviors, also referred to as panic-like behaviors, in animals. Although the dlPAG is known to receive a specific innervation of dopaminergic fibers and abundantly expresses dopamine receptors, the origin of this dopaminergic input is largely unknown. This study aimed at mapping the dopaminergic projections to the dlPAG in order to provide further insight into the panic-like related behavior circuitry of the dlPAG. For this purpose, the retrograde tracer cholera toxin subunit b (CTb) was injected into the dlPAG of male Wistar rats and double immunofluorescence for CTb and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of dopamine, was performed. Neurons labeled for both CTb and TH were counted in different dopaminergic cell groups. The findings indicate that the dopaminergic nerve terminals present in the dlPAG originate from multiple dopamine-containing cell groups in the hypothalamus and mesencephalon. Interestingly, the A13 cell group is the main source of dopaminergic afferents to the dlPAG and contains at least 45% of the total number of CTb/TH-positive neurons. Anterograde tracing with biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) combined with double immunofluorescence for BDA and TH confirmed the projections from the A13 cell group to the dlPAG. The remainder of the dopamine-positive terminals present in the dlPAG was found to originate from the extended A10 cell group and the A11 group. The A13 cell group is known to send dopaminergic efferents to several other brain regions implicated in defensive behavior, including the central amygdala and ventromedial hypothalamus. Therefore, although direct behavioral evidence is lacking, our finding that the A13 cell group is also the main source of dopaminergic input to the dlPAG suggests that dopamine might contribute to the regulation of dlPAG-mediated defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fany Messanvi
- Department of Neuroscience, Section Anatomy, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Ellie Eggens-Meijer
- Department of Neuroscience, Section Medical Physiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Benno Roozendaal
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Centre and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Johannes J van der Want
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim, Norway
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10
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Lima FF, Sita LV, Oliveira AR, Costa HC, da Silva JM, Mortara RA, Haemmerle CA, Xavier GF, Canteras NS, Bittencourt JC. Hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone projections to the septo-hippocampal complex in the rat. J Chem Neuroanat 2013; 47:1-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2012.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2012] [Revised: 10/08/2012] [Accepted: 10/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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11
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Adams AC, Domouzoglou EM, Chee MJ, Segal-Lieberman G, Pissios P, Maratos-Flier E. Ablation of the hypothalamic neuropeptide melanin concentrating hormone is associated with behavioral abnormalities that reflect impaired olfactory integration. Behav Brain Res 2011; 224:195-200. [PMID: 21669232 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2011] [Revised: 05/27/2011] [Accepted: 05/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is an orexigenic hypothalamic neuropeptide. At least one receptor, MCH receptor 1 (MCHR1), is present in all mammals and is expressed widely throughout the brain, including cortex, striatum and structures implicated in the integration of olfactory cues such as the piriform cortex and olfactory bulb. Consistent with a potential role for MCH in mediating olfactory function, MCH knockout mice demonstrate abnormal olfactory behaviors. These behaviors include impaired food seeking by both genders in the context of normal levels of exploratory behavior, suggesting impaired olfaction. Males also exhibit increased aggression while females show defects in several olfactory mediated behaviors including mating, estrous cycle synchronization and maternal behavior. These findings suggest that hypothalamic inputs through MCH play an important role in regulating sensory integration from olfactory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Adams
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Center for Life Sciences, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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12
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Bittencourt JC. Anatomical organization of the melanin-concentrating hormone peptide family in the mammalian brain. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 172:185-97. [PMID: 21463631 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2010] [Revised: 03/23/2011] [Accepted: 03/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
More than 20 years ago, melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and its peptide family members - neuropeptide EI (NEI) and neuropeptide GE (NGE) - were described in various species, including mammals (rodents, humans, and non-human primates). Since then, most studies have focused on the role of MCH as an orexigenic peptide, as well as on its participation in learning, spatial memory, neuroendocrine control, and sleep. It has been shown that MCH mRNA or the neuropeptide MCH are present in neurons of the prosencephalon, hypothalamus and brainstem. However, most of the neurons containing MCH/NEI are within the incerto-hypothalamic and lateral hypothalamic areas. In addition, the terminals of those neurons are distributed widely throughout the central nervous system. In this review, we will discuss the relationship between those territories and the roles played by MCH/NEI, as well as the importance of MCH receptor 1 in the respective terminal fields. Certain neurochemical features of MCH- and NEI-immunoreactive (MCH-ir and NEI-ir) neurons will also be discussed. The overarching theme is the anatomical organization of an inhibitory neuropeptide colocalized with an inhibitory neurotransmitter in integrative territories of the central nervous system, such as the IHy and LHA. Although these territories have connections to few brain regions, the regions to which they are connected are relevant, being responsible for the organization of motivated behaviors. All available information on this peptidergic system (anatomical, neurochemical, hodological, physiological, pharmacological and behavioral data) suggests that MCH is intimately involved in arousal and the initiation of motivated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson C Bittencourt
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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Kessler BA, Stanley EM, Frederick-Duus D, Fadel J. Age-related loss of orexin/hypocretin neurons. Neuroscience 2011; 178:82-8. [PMID: 21262323 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2010] [Revised: 01/11/2011] [Accepted: 01/15/2011] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Aging is associated with many physiological alterations-such as changes in sleep patterns, metabolism and food intake-suggestive of hypothalamic dysfunction, but the effects of senescence on specific hypothalamic nuclei and neuronal groups that mediate these alterations is unclear. The lateral hypothalamus and contiguous perifornical area (LH/PFA) contains several populations of neurons, including those that express the neuropeptides orexin (hypocretin) or melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH). Collectively, orexin and MCH neurons influence many integrative homeostatic processes related to wakefulness and energy balance. Here, we determined the effect of aging on numbers of orexin and MCH neurons in young adult (3-4 months) and old (26-28 months) Fisher 344/Brown Norway F1 hybrid rats. Aged rats exhibited a loss of greater than 40% of orexin-immunoreactive neurons in both the medial and lateral (relative to the fornix) sectors of the LH/PFA. MCH-immunoreactive neurons were also lost in aged rats, primarily in the medial LH/PFA. Neuronal loss in this area was not global as no change in cells immunoreactive for the pan-neuronal marker, NeuN, was observed in aged rats. Combined with other reports of altered receptor expression or behavioral responses to exogenously-administered neuropeptide, these data suggest that compromised orexin (and, perhaps, MCH) function is an important mediator of age-related homeostatic disturbances of hypothalamic origin. The orexin system may represent a crucial substrate linking homeostatic and cognitive dysfunction in aging, as well as a novel therapeutic target for pharmacological or genetic restoration approaches to preventing or ameliorating these disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- B A Kessler
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, 6439 Garners Ferry Road Columbia, SC 29208, USA
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Morganstern I, Chang GQ, Chen YW, Barson JR, Zhiyu Y, Hoebel BG, Leibowitz SF. Role of melanin-concentrating hormone in the control of ethanol consumption: Region-specific effects revealed by expression and injection studies. Physiol Behav 2010; 101:428-37. [PMID: 20670637 PMCID: PMC2949500 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2010] [Revised: 05/27/2010] [Accepted: 07/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The peptide melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), produced mainly by cells in the lateral hypothalamus (LH), perifornical area (PF) and zona incerta (ZI), is suggested to have a role in the consumption of rewarding substances, such as ethanol, sucrose and palatable food. However, there is limited information on the specific brain sites where MCH acts to stimulate intake of these rewarding substances and on the feedback effects that their consumption has on the expression of endogenous MCH. The current study investigated MCH in relation to ethanol consumption, in Sprague-Dawley rats. In Experiment 1, chronic consumption of ethanol (from 0.70 to 2.7 g/kg/day) dose-dependently reduced MCH gene expression in the LH. In Experiments 2-4, the opposite effect was observed with acute oral ethanol, which stimulated MCH expression specifically in the LH but not the ZI. In Experiment 5, the effect of MCH injection in brain-cannulated rats on ethanol consumption was examined. Compared to saline, MCH injected in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) selectively stimulated ethanol consumption without affecting food or water intake. In contrast, it reduced ethanol intake when administered into the LH, while having no effect in the ZI. These results demonstrate that voluntary, chronic consumption of ethanol leads to local negative feedback control of MCH expression in the LH. However, with a brief exposure, ethanol stimulates MCH-expressing neurons in this region, which through projections to the feeding-related PVN and reward-related NAc can promote further drinking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Morganstern
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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De Paul AL, Attademo AM, Carón RW, Soaje M, Torres AI, Jahn GA, Celis ME. Neuropeptide glutamic-isoleucine (NEI) specifically stimulates the secretory activity of gonadotrophs in primary cultures of female rat pituitary cells. Peptides 2009; 30:2081-7. [PMID: 19729046 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2009.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2008] [Revised: 08/14/2009] [Accepted: 08/25/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide EI (NEI) is derived from proMCH. It activates GnRH neurons, and has been shown to stimulate the LH release following intracerebroventricular administration in several experimental models. The aim of the present paper was to evaluate NEI actions on pituitary hormone secretion and cell morphology in vitro. Pituitary cells from female rats were treated with NEI for a wide range of concentrations (1-400x10(-8)M) and time periods (1-5h). The media were collected and LH, FSH, PRL, and GH measured by RIA. The interaction between NEI (1, 10 and 100x10(-8)M) and GnRH (0.1 and 1x10(-9)M) was also tested. Pituitary cells were harvested for electron microscopy, and the immunogold immunocytochemistry of LH was assayed after 2 and 4h of NEI incubation. NEI (100x10(-8)M) induced a significant LH secretion after 2h of stimulus, reaching a maximum response 4h later. A rapid and remarkable LH release was induced by NEI (400x10(-8)M) 1h after stimulus, attaining its highest level at 2h. However, PRL, GH and FSH were not affected. NEI provoked ultrastructural changes in the gonadotrophs, which showed accumulations of LH-immunoreactive granules near the plasma membrane and exocytotic images, while the other populations exhibited no changes. Although NEI (10x10(-8)M), caused no action when used alone, its co-incubation with GnRH (1x10(-9)M), promoted a slight but significant increase in LH. These results demonstrate that NEI acts at the pituitary level through a direct action on gonadotrophs, as well as through interaction with GnRH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lucía De Paul
- Centro de Microscopía Electrónica, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, Argentina.
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Hahn JD. Comparison of melanin-concentrating hormone and hypocretin/orexin peptide expression patterns in a current parceling scheme of the lateral hypothalamic zone. Neurosci Lett 2009; 468:12-7. [PMID: 19850103 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2009.10.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2009] [Revised: 10/13/2009] [Accepted: 10/14/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The distribution of hypothalamic neurons expressing the peptides melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH; 'MCH neurons') or hypocretin/orexin (H/O; 'H/O neurons') was assessed with immunocytochemistry in male rats at high spatial resolution. Data were plotted on a rat brain atlas that includes a recently revised parcellation scheme for the lateral hypothalamic zone. Quantitative analysis revealed approximately three times more MCH neurons than H/O neurons in the hypothalamus, and approximately twice as many within the parcellations of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). The LHA contained 60% of MCH neurons and 81% of H/O neurons, and the same five LHA regions contained the vast majority of MCH (87%) or H/O (93%) neurons present within the LHA: namely the LHA dorsal region (LHAd: 31% of H/O; 38% of MCH), suprafornical region (LHAs: 28% of H/O; 11% of MCH), ventral region medial zone (LHAvm: 15% of H/O; 16% of MCH), juxtadorsomedial region (LHAjd: 14% of H/O and MCH) and magnocellular nucleus (LHAm: 5% of H/O; 7% of MCH). The zona incerta (ZI) contained 18% of MCH neurons. A high co-abundance of MCH and H/O neurons outside of the LHA was present in the posterior hypothalamic nucleus (PH: 11% of H/O; 9% of MCH). Morphological analysis revealed MCH and H/O neurons as typically tri-polar with irregularly shaped somata. These data provide a quantitative analysis of neurons expressing either MCH or H/O peptides within the rat hypothalamus, and they clarify differences in the distribution pattern for different subsets of these neuron types, especially within the LHA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel D Hahn
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2520, USA.
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Afferent connections to the rostrolateral part of the periaqueductal gray: a critical region influencing the motivation drive to hunt and forage. Neural Plast 2009; 2009:612698. [PMID: 19325910 PMCID: PMC2657915 DOI: 10.1155/2009/612698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2008] [Revised: 10/02/2008] [Accepted: 12/17/2008] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that a particular site in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), the rostrolateral PAG, influences the motivation drive to forage or hunt. To have a deeper understanding on the putative paths involved in the decision-making process between foraging, hunting, and other behavioral responses, in the present investigation, we carried out a systematic analysis of the neural inputs to the rostrolateral PAG (rlPAG), using Fluorogold as a retrograde tracer. According to the present findings, the rlPAG appears to be importantly driven by medial prefrontal cortical areas involved in controlling attention-related and decision-making processes. Moreover, the rlPAG also receives a wealth of information from different amygdalar, hypothalamic, and brainstem sites related to feeding, drinking, or hunting behavioral responses. Therefore, this unique combination of afferent connections puts the rlPAG in a privileged position to influence the motivation drive to choose whether hunting and foraging would be the most appropriate adaptive responses.
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Adamantidis A, Salvert D, Goutagny R, Lakaye B, Gervasoni D, Grisar T, Luppi PH, Fort P. Sleep architecture of the melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 1-knockout mice. Eur J Neurosci 2008; 27:1793-800. [PMID: 18380672 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06129.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Growing amounts of data indicate involvement of the posterior hypothalamus in the regulation of sleep, especially paradoxical sleep (PS). Accordingly, we previously showed that the melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH)-producing neurons of the rat hypothalamus are selectively activated during a PS rebound. In addition, intracerebroventricular infusion of MCH increases total sleep duration, suggesting a new role for MCH in sleep regulation. To determine whether activation of the MCH system promotes sleep, we studied spontaneous sleep and its homeostatic regulation in mice with deletion of the MCH-receptor 1 gene (MCH-R1-/- vs. MCH-R1+/+) and their behavioural response to modafinil, a powerful antinarcoleptic drug. Here, we show that the lack of functional MCH-R1 results in a hypersomniac-like phenotype, both in basal conditions and after total sleep deprivation, compared to wild-type mice. Further, we found that modafinil was less potent at inducing wakefulness in MCH-R1-/- than in MCH-R1+/+ mice. We report for the first time that animals with genetically inactivated MCH signaling exhibit altered vigilance state architecture and sleep homeostasis. This study also suggests that the MCH system may modulate central pathways involved in the wake-promoting effect of modafinil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Adamantidis
- Research Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Unit of Molecular Neurophysiology, University of Liège, 1 Avenue de l'Hôpital, Bat. B-36, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
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19
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Melanin-concentrating hormone projections to areas involved in somatomotor responses. J Chem Neuroanat 2008; 35:188-201. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2007.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2007] [Revised: 10/16/2007] [Accepted: 10/16/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Sita LV, Elias CF, Bittencourt JC. Connectivity pattern suggests that incerto-hypothalamic area belongs to the medial hypothalamic system. Neuroscience 2007; 148:949-69. [PMID: 17707116 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2007] [Revised: 06/13/2007] [Accepted: 07/13/2007] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The incerto-hypothalamic area (IHy) is a poorly defined diencephalic region located at the junction of the medial hypothalamus and zona incerta (ZI). This region is characterized by the presence of the A13 dopaminergic group and also cells expressing melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART). The dopaminergic neurons appear to influence luteinizing hormone secretion, but the role of the MCH/CART-expressing cells is unclear. Even though IHy presents a singular neurochemistry, it has long been assumed that it is also part of the zona incerta. By injecting biotinylated dextran amine into the IHy and ZI of adult male Wistar rats, we analyzed the efferent projections from the IHy in comparison to the ZI. We have found that ZI projects mainly to laterally located brain stem structures, whereas the main efferents from the IHy are the reuniens thalamic nucleus, precommissural nucleus, posterior hypothalamic area and dorsolateral periaqueductal gray matter. The IHy projection pattern is quite similar to that of the anterior hypothalamic area and our hodological results suggest that IHy belongs to the medial hypothalamic system and might be part of the defensive behavior system. The IHy could be an integrative area associated with the regulation of neuroendocrine functions related to motivated behaviors, which are mediated by the medial hypothalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- L V Sita
- Laboratory of Chemical Neuroanatomy, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 2415 Ed. B-III, São Paulo SP, 05508-900, Brazil
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21
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Harthoorn LF. Projection-Dependent Differentiation of Melanin-Concentrating Hormone-Containing Neurons. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2006; 27:49-55. [PMID: 17151950 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-006-9115-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2006] [Accepted: 08/07/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
1. Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH)-containing neurons within the lateral hypothalamus affect a broad spectrum of physiological and behavioral processes. The aim of this study was to examine a differentiation of rat MCH neurons dependent on their functionally related projections to the intermediolateral column (IML) of the spinal cord, the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG), and the brainstem locus coeruleus (LC). 2. A combination of retrograde fluorescent neuronal tracing and immunocytochemical identification revealed MCH neurons that project to IML, PAG, and LC. Subsequent to isolation of these single neurons by laser microdissection, multi-transcriptional profiling by means of real-time RT-PCR demonstrated different expression patterns between sympathetically projecting MCH neurons and those targeting the PAG or LC. 3. These results provide evidence for the existence of projection-dependent MCH neuronal subpopulations with functional differentiation in the context of controlling energy homeostasis, autonomic functioning, and arousal.
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22
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Murray JF, Hahn JD, Kennedy AR, Small CJ, Bloom SR, Haskell-Luevano C, Coen CW, Wilson CA. Evidence for a stimulatory action of melanin-concentrating hormone on luteinising hormone release involving MCH1 and melanocortin-5 receptors. J Neuroendocrinol 2006; 18:157-67. [PMID: 16454799 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2005.01397.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The present series of studies aimed to further our understanding of the role of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurones in the central regulation of luteinising hormone (LH) release in the female rat. LH release was stimulated when MCH was injected bilaterally into the rostral preoptic area (rPOA) or medial preoptic area (mPOA), but not when injected into the zona incerta (ZI), of oestrogen-primed ovariectomised rats. In rats that were steroid-primed to generate a surge-like release of LH, MCH administration into the ZI blocked this rise in LH release: no such effect occurred when MCH was injected into the rPOA or mPOA. In vitro, MCH stimulated gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release from hypothalamic explants. Double-label immunohistochemistry showed GnRH-immunoreactive neurones in the vicinity of and intermingled with immunoreactive MCH processes. MCH is the endogenous ligand of the MCH type 1 receptor (MCH1-R). Previously, we have shown a role for melanocortin-5 receptors (MC5-R) in the stimulatory action of MCH, so we next investigated the involvement of both MCH1-R and/or MC5-R in mediating the actions of MCH on GnRH and hence LH release. The stimulatory action of MCH in the rPOA was inhibited by administration of antagonists for either MCH1-R or MC5-R. However, in the mPOA, the action of MCH was blocked only by the MC5-R antagonist. LH release was stimulated by an agonist for MC5-R injected into the rPOA or mPOA; this was blocked by the MC5-R antagonist but not the MCH1-R antagonist. These results indicate that both MCH1-R and MC5-R are involved in the central control of LH release by MCH.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Murray
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Physiology and Clinical Developmental Sciences; O&G, St George's University of London, London, UK
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24
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Attademo AM, Rondini TAR, Rodrigues BC, Bittencourt JC, Celis ME, Elias CF. Neuropeptide glutamic acid-isoleucine may induce luteinizing hormone secretion via multiple pathways. Neuroendocrinology 2006; 83:313-24. [PMID: 17016031 DOI: 10.1159/000096052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2006] [Accepted: 08/21/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptide glutamic acid-isoleucine (NEI) is a 14-amino acid peptide processed from prepro-melanin-concentrating hormone (ppMCH). In males, the localization of NEI is almost identical to that of MCH, the cell bodies of both being located primarily in the lateral hypothalamic area and zona incerta, projecting fibers throughout the brain. Although MCH has been widely studied, the role that NEI plays in brain circuitry has been poorly investigated. Recently, we showed that intracerebroventricular injection of NEI increases serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. In order to identify the anatomical substrate underlying this effect, we used combined immunohistochemistry methods to analyze the forebrains of females on the diestrus and proestrus days, as well as those of ovariectomized females treated with estradiol benzoate, with estradiol benzoate plus progesterone or with sesame oil (control animals). We found that ovariectomized females with no steroid treatment showed an increased number of NEI-immunoreactive neurons in the medial zona incerta. In addition, we observed dense to moderate NEI innervation of areas related to reproduction, including the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) and the median eminence. The NEI fibers were in close apposition with the AVPV and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons expressing Fos in the afternoon of the proestrus day or following administration of estradiol benzoate plus progesterone. In the median eminence, NEI varicosities and terminal-like structures were in close proximity to blood vessels and GnRH fibers. Our results suggest that NEI might induce LH secretion in one of the following ways: by direct release into the median eminence, by modulation of GnRH neurons located in the preoptic area, by modulation of the GnRH terminals located in the median eminence or by an additive effect involving other neurotransmitters or neurohormones. Release of NEI might also induce LH secretion indirectly by modulating AVPV neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres M Attademo
- Laboratorio de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Cátedra de Bacteriologia y Virologia, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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25
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Swanson LW, Sanchez-Watts G, Watts AG. Comparison of melanin-concentrating hormone and hypocretin/orexin mRNA expression patterns in a new parceling scheme of the lateral hypothalamic zone. Neurosci Lett 2005; 387:80-4. [PMID: 16084021 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2005.06.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2005] [Revised: 06/15/2005] [Accepted: 06/24/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
A high-resolution spatial distribution analysis of hypothalamic neurons expressing melanin-concentrating hormone or hypocretin/orexin was performed in adult male rats with in situ hybridization cytochemistry. For the analysis, a new parcellation of the lateral zone with some two-dozen regions was used, and distributions were plotted on 15 transverse reference levels through the hypothalamus. Qualitatively the results confirm earlier, much lower resolution mapping studies, although some discrepancies are clarified. Previous work indicates that each of these cell populations is far from homogeneous, and the present results should help establish a framework for clarifying more precisely how they are differentiated and organized in terms of axonal input-output relationships and gene expression patterns, and for defining precise relationships with other hypothalamic neuron populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry W Swanson
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Hedco Neuroscience Building MC 2520, Room 428, 3641 Watt Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2520, USA.
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Mitrofanis J. Some certainty for the “zone of uncertainty”? Exploring the function of the zona incerta. Neuroscience 2005; 130:1-15. [PMID: 15561420 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2004.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/15/2004] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The zona incerta (ZI), first described over a century ago by Auguste Forel as a "region of which nothing certain can be said," forms a collection of cells that derives from the diencephalon. To this day, we are still not certain of the precise function of this "zone of uncertainty" although many have been proposed, from controlling visceral activity to shifting attention and from influencing arousal to maintaining posture and locomotion. In this review, I shall outline the recent advances in the understanding of the structure, connectivity and functions of the ZI. I will then focus on a possible and often neglected global role for the ZI, one that links its diverse functions together. In particular, I aim to highlight the idea that the ZI forms a primal center of the diencephalon for generating direct responses (visceral, arousal, attention and/or posture-locomotion) to a given sensory (somatic and/or visceral) stimulus. With this global role in mind, I will then address recent results indicating that abnormal ZI activity manifests in clinical symptoms of Parkinson disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Mitrofanis
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Anderson Stuart Building F13, University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006 New South Wales, Australia.
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27
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Sita LV, Elias CF, Bittencourt JC. Dopamine and melanin-concentrating hormone neurons are distinct populations in the rat rostromedial zona incerta. Brain Res 2003; 970:232-7. [PMID: 12706266 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(03)02345-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Zona incerta (ZI) is a controversial diencephalic area with a variety of cytoarchitectonic subdivisions, neurotransmitters and related functions. Medial ZI synthesizes dopamine (A13 group) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, a catecholamine synthesizing enzyme), which has been considered a neurochemical marker for this region. The rostromedial ZI also expresses melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), but it is not known whether dopamine and MCH are colocalized. By using double label immunohistochemistry we analyzed the distribution of TH and MCH in the rat ZI. We found that MCH and TH neurons are intermingled but are not colocalized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciane V Sita
- Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, Brazil
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Casatti CA, Elias CF, Sita LV, Frigo L, Furlani VCG, Bauer JA, Bittencourt JC. Distribution of melanin-concentrating hormone neurons projecting to the medial mammillary nucleus. Neuroscience 2003; 115:899-915. [PMID: 12435428 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(02)00508-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The melanin-concentrating hormone and neuropeptide glutamic acid-isoleucine are expressed in neurons located mainly in the hypothalamus that project widely throughout the CNS. One of the melanin-concentrating hormone main targets is the medial mammillary nucleus, but the exact origin of these fibers is unknown. We observed melanin-concentrating hormone and neuropeptide glutamic acid-isoleucine immunoreactive fibers coursing throughout the mammillary complex, showing higher density in the pars lateralis of the medial mammillary nucleus, while the lateral mammillary nucleus showed sparse melanin-concentrating hormone innervation. The origins of these afferents were determined by using implant of the retrograde tracer True Blue in the medial mammillary nucleus. Double-labeled neurons were observed in the lateral hypothalamic area, rostromedial zona incerta and dorsal tuberomammillary nucleus. A considerable population of retrogradely labeled melanin-concentrating hormone perikaryal profiles was also immunoreactive to neuropeptide glutamic acid-isoleucine (74+/-15% to 85+/-15%). The afferents from the lateral hypothalamic area, rostromedial zona incerta and dorsal tuberomammillary nucleus to the medial mammillary nucleus were confirmed using implant of the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin. In addition, using double-labeled immunohistochemistry, we found no co-localization between neurons expressing melanin-concentrating hormone and adenosine deaminase (histaminergic marker) in the dorsal tuberomammillary nucleus. We hypothesize that these melanin-concentrating hormone projections participate in spatial memory process mediated by the medial mammillary nucleus. These pathways would enable the animal to look for food during the initial moments of appetite stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C A Casatti
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry of Araçatuba, University of Sao Paulo State - UNESP, 16015-050, Sao Paulo, Araçatuba, Brazil
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29
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Heise CE, Mitrofanis J. Evidence for a glutamatergic projection from the zona incerta to the basal ganglia of rats. J Comp Neurol 2003; 468:482-95. [PMID: 14689481 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This study explores the organisation and neurochemical nature of the projections from the zona incerta (ZI) to the basal ganglia. Sprague-Dawley rats were anaesthetised with ketamine (100 mg/kg) and Rompun (10 mg/kg), and injections of cholera toxin subunit B were made into each of the following nuclei: the ZI, the substantia nigra (SN), the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PpT), and the entopeduncular nucleus (Ep). Brains were aldehyde fixed, sectioned, and processed using standard methods. Tracer-labelled sections were then doubly labelled with antibodies to glutamate (Glu), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), parvalbumin (Pv), or glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD; the latter two are markers for GABAergic cells); these neurochemicals characterise most types of ZI cells. After ZI injections, labelling was nonuniform across the different basal ganglia nuclei. The bulk of labelling, both anterograde and retrograde, was seen in the SN and PpT and, to a lesser extent, within the other nuclei of the basal ganglia (e.g., caudate-putamen, globus pallidus, subthalamus, Ep). In the SN, labelling was found in both major parts of the nucleus, the pars compacta and pars reticulata. Within the PpT, however, the bulk of labelling was limited to only one of the two sectors of the nucleus, namely, the pars dissipata (PpTd). The pars compacta of the PpT (PpTc) remained largely free of labelled profiles. After CTb injections into three basal ganglia nuclei (SN, PpT, Ep), most labelled cells in the ZI were glutamate+ and very few were NOS+ or gamma-aminobutyric acidergic. Overall, the results indicate that the ZI is in a position to influence preferentially the activity of the SN and PpTd of the basal ganglia via an excitatory, glutamatergic input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Heise
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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Brischoux F, Cvetkovic V, Griffond B, Fellmann D, Risold PY. Time of genesis determines projection and neurokinin-3 expression patterns of diencephalic neurons containing melanin-concentrating hormone. Eur J Neurosci 2002; 16:1672-80. [PMID: 12431219 DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2002.02229.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Anatomical and functional evidence suggests that the diencephalic melanin-concentrating hormone- (MCH-) containing neurons do not form a homogeneous population. In this work, the expression of the neurokinin-3 receptor (NK3) has been researched in MCH neurons which have been retrogradely labelled following fast blue injections into either the spinal cord or the cerebral cortex. The birth-date of these cortically and spinally projecting cells has been determined using the bromodeoxyuridine method. The results obtained show that neurons projecting to the spinal cord are born early (E11) and most of them (78,7%) do not express NK3, but neurons that send axons to the cerebral cortex are born later (E12-E13) and most of them (84,8%) express NK3. Both neuronal types are largely intermingled in the lateral hypothalamic area proper. These results are discussed in terms of the functional organization of the MCH neuronal population.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Brischoux
- Laboratoire d'Histologie, Embryologie, Cytogénétique, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Université de Franche-Comté, Place St Jacques, 25030 Besançon Cedex
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31
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Griffond B, Baker BI. Cell and molecular cell biology of melanin-concentrating hormone. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CYTOLOGY 2002; 213:233-77. [PMID: 11837894 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7696(02)13016-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in the study of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) have depended largely on molecular biological techniques. In mammals, which have attracted the most attention, novel findings concern (i) the MCH gene, which can yield several peptides by either posttranslational cleavage or alternative splicing, as well as bidirectional transcription; (ii) the identification of two G protein-coupled MCH receptors in the brain and peripheral tissues; and (iii) the evidence for subpopulations of MCH neurons in the central nervous system, characterized by their chemical phenotypes, connections, and individual physiological responses to different physiological paradigms. The involvement of central MCH in various functions, including feeding, reproduction, stress, and behavior patterns, is reviewed. The stage during evolution at which MCH may have acquired hypophysiotrophic and hormonal functions in lower vertebrates is considered in light of morphological data. Evidence that MCH also has peripheral paracrine/autocrine effects in mammals is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernadette Griffond
- Laboratoire d'Histologie, Faculté de Médecine, Place St-Jacques, Besançon, France
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32
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Abstract
The hypothalamus is a relatively small division of the vertebrate forebrain that plays especially important roles in neural mechanisms assuring homeostasis, defense, and reproduction. Previous studies from our laboratory have suggested a distinct circuit in the medial hypothalamic zone as critically involved in the organization of innate defensive behavior. Thus, after exposure to a natural predator known to elicit innate defensive responses, increased Fos levels in the medial zone of the hypothalamus have been found restricted to the anterior hypothalamic nucleus, dorsomedial part of the ventromedial nucleus, and dorsal premammillary nucleus (PMd). Previous anatomical studies have shown that these Fos-responsive cell groups in the medial hypothalamus are interconnected in a distinct neural system, in which the PMd appears to be a critical element for the expression of defensive responses elicited by the presence of a predator. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of what is currently known about the functional and hodological organization of this hypothalamic circuit subserving defensive responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Newton S Canteras
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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33
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Chapter II The melanin-concentrating hormone. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2002. [DOI: 10.1016/s0924-8196(02)80004-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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34
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Affiliation(s)
- C B Saper
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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35
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Hervieu GJ, Cluderay JE, Harrison D, Meakin J, Maycox P, Nasir S, Leslie RA. The distribution of the mRNA and protein products of the melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) receptor gene, slc-1, in the central nervous system of the rat. Eur J Neurosci 2000; 12:1194-216. [PMID: 10762350 DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2000.00008.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 242] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), a 19 amino acid cyclic peptide, is largely expressed in the hypothalamus. It is implicated in the control of general arousal and goal-orientated behaviours in mammals, and appears to be a key messenger in the regulation of food intake. An understanding of the biological actions of MCH has been so far hampered by the lack of information about its receptor(s) and their location in the brain. We recently identified the orphan G-protein-coupled receptor SLC-1 as a receptor for the neuropeptide MCH. We used in situ hybridization histochemistry and immunohistochemistry to determine the distribution of SLC-1 mRNA and its protein product in the rat brain and spinal cord. SLC-1 mRNA and protein were found to be widely and strongly expressed throughout the brain. Immunoreactivity was observed in areas that largely overlapped with regions mapping positive for mRNA. SLC-1 signals were observed in the cerebral cortex, caudate-putamen, hippocampal formation, amygdala, hypothalamus and thalamus, as well as in various nuclei of the mesencephalon and rhombencephalon. The distribution of the receptor mRNA and immunolabelling was in good general agreement with the previously reported distribution of MCH itself. Our data are consistent with the known biological effects of MCH in the brain, e.g. modulation of the stress response, sexual behaviour, anxiety, learning, seizure production, grooming and sensory gating, and with a role for SLC-1 in mediating these physiological actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- G J Hervieu
- Department of Neuroscience, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, Third Avenue, Harlow, Essex, UK.
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36
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Abstract
The connections of the precomissural nucleus (PRC) have been examined with anterograde and retrograde axonal tracing methods in the rat. Experiments with cholera toxin B subunit (CTb) indicate that the PRC shares a number of common afferent sources with the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray (PAG). Thus, we have shown that the nucleus receives substantial inputs from the prefrontal cortex, specific domains of the rostral part of the lateral septal nucleus, rostral zona incerta, perifornical region, anterior hypothalamic nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, dorsal premammillary nucleus, medial regions of the intermediate and deep layers of the superior colliculus, and cuneiform nucleus. Moreover, the PRC also receives inputs from several PAG regions and from neural sites involved in the control of attentive or motivational state, including the laterodorsal tegemental nucleus and the ventral tegmental area. The efferent projections of the PRC were analyzed by using the Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) method. Notably, the PRC presents a projection pattern that resembles in many ways the pattern described previously for the rostral dorsolateral PAG in addition to projections to a number of targets that also are innervated by neighboring pretectal nuclei, including the rostrodorsomedial part of the lateral dorsal thalamic nucleus, the ventral part of the lateral geniculate complex, the medial pretectal nucleus, the nucleus of the posterior commissure, and the ventrolateral part of the subcuneiform reticular nucleus. Overall, the results suggest that the PRC might be viewed as a rostral component of the PAG, and the possible functional significance of the nucleus is discussed in terms of its connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- N S Canteras
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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37
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Elias CF, Saper CB, Maratos-Flier E, Tritos NA, Lee C, Kelly J, Tatro JB, Hoffman GE, Ollmann MM, Barsh GS, Sakurai T, Yanagisawa M, Elmquist JK. Chemically defined projections linking the mediobasal hypothalamus and the lateral hypothalamic area. J Comp Neurol 1998. [DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(19981228)402:4<442::aid-cne2>3.0.co;2-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 630] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Bittencourt JC, Elias CF. Melanin-concentrating hormone and neuropeptide EI projections from the lateral hypothalamic area and zona incerta to the medial septal nucleus and spinal cord: a study using multiple neuronal tracers. Brain Res 1998; 805:1-19. [PMID: 9733903 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(98)00598-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The projection pathways of neurons containing melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and neuropeptide EI (NEI), two peptides colocalized in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) of the rat, were mapped using the retrogradely transported fluorescent dyes, true blue (TB) and diamidino yellow (DY). TB and DY were injected into the medial septum/diagonal band complex (MS/DBC) and the thoracic level of the spinal cord (SpCd), respectively. Brains from rats receiving only one or both tracer injections were immunohistochemically stained for MCH in the spinal cord and NEI in the forebrain. In the MS/DBC, NEI-immunoreactive (-ir) fibers are concentrated in the MS and in the vertical and horizontal limbs of the DBC. In the SpCd, MCH-ir fibers are concentrated primarily in lamina X. Of the diencephalic NEI-ir neurons, 37.15% project to the MS/DBC and reside in the rostromedial zona incerta (ZIm), in the LHAt and LHAp, and in the perifornical region. Of the diencephalic MCH-ir neurons, 20.2% project to the SpCd and reside in the LHAt and LHAp. In addition, 2. 2% of the MCH-ir cells and 8.7% of the NEI-ir cells in the hypothalamus were labeled with both retrograde tracers and thus project to both the MS/DBC and SpCd. These dual projection neurons are located mainly in the LHAt and LHAp. Anterograde injections of the tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin into the LHAt and ZIm corroborated our findings in the retrograde studies. Potential autonomic and behavioral roles of the NEI and MCH systems in the MS/DBC and the SpCd are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J C Bittencourt
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-900, SP, Brazil.
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39
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Bittencourt JC, Frigo L, Rissman RA, Casatti CA, Nahon JL, Bauer JA. The distribution of melanin-concentrating hormone in the monkey brain (Cebus apella). Brain Res 1998; 804:140-3. [PMID: 9729342 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(98)00662-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Melanin-concentrating hormone was identified in the brain of Cebus monkey using immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization. MCH-immunoreactive neurons were found in the lateral hypothalamus and dorsolateral zona incerta. MCH-ir fibers were seen in the medial mammillary nucleus, and in the median eminence, and very few fibers in the globus pallidus. This is the first report describing the MCH-ir cell and fiber distribution in the monkey brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- J C Bittencourt
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-900 SP, Brazil.
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40
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Miller CL, Burmeister M, Thompson RC. Antisense expression of the human pro-melanin-concentrating hormone genes. Brain Res 1998; 803:86-94. [PMID: 9729295 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(98)00626-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Expression of transcripts for human pro-melanin concentrating hormone (pMCH) were studied in the hypothalamus, the primary location for pMCH producing cells in the mammalian CNS. Human hypothalamic tissue was extracted for total RNA and the cDNA generated with reverse transcriptase (RT). PCR amplification with primers spanning exons 2 and 3 of the pMCH human-variant genes (pMCHL), yielded an unspliced product, confirming prior work [T.B. Campbell, C.K. McDonald, M. Hagen, The effect of structure in a long target RNA on ribozyme cleavage efficiency, Nucleic Acids Res. 25 (1997) 4985-4993]. In addition, this product was shown to be exclusively antisense, and to be derived from the 5p (pMCHL1), not the 5q (pMCHL2) locus. Thus, there is no evidence that the MCH peptide-precursor molecule is produced in the brain by the human-variant pMCHL loci. In contrast, corresponding RT-PCR for pMCH RNA generated by the locus on 12q, demonstrated the presence of both sense and antisense spliced RNA. Partial sequencing of the spliced product confirmed that production of at least the two C-terminal peptides would occur from the 12q pMCH locus. The significance of the findings for pMCH and pMCHL1 are discussed relative to what is known about the function of endogenous antisense RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- C L Miller
- Mental Health Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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