BACKGROUND Alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) is a small neuronal protein that has been found to be expressed throughout the brain. It has been shown that α-Syn regulates the homeostasis of monoamine neurotransmitters and is involved in various degenerative and affective disorders. There is indication that α-Syn may regulate expression of the brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) which plays an importan...

We have used double in situ hybridization to examine the cellular localization of 5-HT2C receptor mRNA in relation to serotonergic and GABAergic neurons in the anterior raphe nuclei of the rat. In the dorsal and median raphe nuclei 5-HT2C receptor mRNA was not detected in serotonergic cells identified as those expressing serotonin (5-HT) transporter mRNA. In contrast, 5-HT2C receptor mRNA was f...

PURPOSE The central fatigue hypothesis suggests that exhaustion, or the maximum level of exercise, induces excessive stress and increases serotonin concentrations in the brain, which in turn decreases central nervous system (CNS) function and induces fatigue. Our aim was to determine the effects of colostrum serum on the serotonergic system in the dorsal raphe nuclei during exhaustive exercise....

Sympathetic premotor neurons directly control sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPNs) in the intermediolateral cell column (IML) of the thoracic spinal cord, and many of these premotor neurons are localized in the medulla oblongata. The rostral ventrolateral medulla contains premotor neurons controlling the cardiovascular conditions, whereas rostral medullary raphe regions are a candidate sour...

BACKGROUND Acupuncture has been used as a common therapeutic tool in many disorders including anxiety and depression. Serotonin transporter (SERT) plays an important role in the pathology of anxiety and other mood disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of acupuncture on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced anxiety-like behaviors and SERT in the dorsal raphe nuclei (DRN). MET...

The mechanism underlying median raphe (MR)-induced facilitation of hippocampal synaptic transmission was investigated by recording stimulus-evoked field potentials and unitary responses in urethane-anesthetized rats. Stimulation of the MR 40 ms prior to perforant path (PP) activation significantly increased the magnitude of PP-evoked granule cell population spikes (median increase = 78%) withou...

The immunocytochemical distribution of [Leulenkephalin and an adrenal enkephalin precursor fragment (BAM-22P) immunoreactivity was investigated in the diencephalon and brainstem of rats pretreated with relatively high doses of colchicine (300-400 pgil0 pl intracerebroventricularly). The higher ranges of colchicine pretreatment allowed the visualization of extensive enkephalincontaining systems ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Tryptophan hydroxylase activity was assayed in cell-free extracts of rat brain base arteries as marker of a serotonergic innervation. METHODS Estimation of the enzymatic activity was made in untreated male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 53) and in those who underwent destruction of the dorsal and median raphe nuclei (n = 10). RESULTS Tryptophan hydroxylase activity was meas...

Serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission in the brain relies on a widespread axon terminal network originating from the hindbrain raphe nuclei. These projections are topographically organized such that the dorsal (DR), and median raphe (MnR) nuclei have different brain targets. However, the guidance molecules involved in this selective targeting in development are unknown. Here, we show the implicati...

Injections of the serotonin (5-HT)(1A) agonist, 8-hydroxy-2(di-n-propylamino)tetralin, (8-OH-DPAT), either systemically or into the midbrain raphe nuclei, elicit food intake in otherwise satiated rats. Lesions of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus are well known for producing long-term overeating, but past research has excluded this site as a potential locus for short-term 8-OH-DPA...