Obesity causes hyperleptinemia. We have previously shown that D2 receptor-mediated inhibition of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic neurons is attenuated in diet-induced mice with obesity. Consequently, we hypothesized that high concentrations of serum leptin during obesity might modulate D2 receptor-mediated effects on VTA dopaminergic neurons. To investigate our hypothesis, we examined...

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As one of the model organisms of Parkinson's disease (PD) research, the zebrafish has its advantages, such as the 87% homology with human genome and transparent embryos which make it possible to observe the development of dopaminergic neurons in real time. However, there is no midbrain dopaminergic system in zebrafish when compared with mammals, and the location and projection of the dopaminerg...

The brain histamine system has been implicated in regulation of sensorimotor gating deficits and in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. Histamine also regulates alcohol reward and consumption via H3 receptor (H3R), possibly through an interaction with the brain dopaminergic system. Here, we identified the histaminergic mechanism of sensorimotor gating and the role of histamine H3R in the regulation...

Characterizing dopaminergic neuronal development and function in novel genetic animal models might uncover strategies for researchers to develop disease-modifying treatments for neurologic disorders. Id2 is a transcription factor expressed in the developing central nervous system. Id2(-/-) mice have fewer dopaminergic neurons in the olfactory bulb and reduced olfactory discrimination, a pre-cli...

objective(s): the main characteristic of mesenchymal stem cells (mscs) is their ability to produce other cell types. electromagnetic field (emf) stimulates differentiation of mscs into other cells. in this study, we investigated whether emf can effect on the differentiation of mscs into dopaminergic (da) neurons. materials and methods: an emf with a frequency of 50 hz and two intensities of 40 ...

background and objective: parkinson’s disease (pd) is a common neurological disorder due to degeneration of dopaminergic neurons within pars compacta of substantia nigra (snc). with regard to protective effect of malva sylvestris (ms), this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of aquaeous extract of this plant in an experimental model of pd induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-ohda). materials...

Dynamic adaptations of one's behavior by means of performance monitoring are a central function of the human executive system, that underlies considerable interindividual variation. Converging evidence from electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies in both animals and humans hints at the importance of the dopaminergic system for the regulation of performance monitoring. Here, we studied the...

objective(s) while the nucleus accumbens and the striatum have received much attention regarding their roles in stereotyped behaviors, the role of the medial prefrontal cortex (mpfc) has not been investigated to the same degree. few studies have reported the role of the mpfc in dopaminergic induction of locomotor hyperactivity. the mpfc is a heterogeneous area (the anterior cingulated, prelimbi...

Prokineticin-2 (PK2), a recently discovered secreted protein, regulates important physiological functions including olfactory biogenesis and circadian rhythms in the CNS. Interestingly, although PK2 expression is low in the nigral system, its receptors are constitutively expressed on nigrostriatal neurons. Herein, we demonstrate that PK2 expression is highly induced in nigral dopaminergic neuro...