Compensatory Activation of Cannabinoid CB2 Receptor Inhibition of GABA Release in the Rostral Ventromedial Medulla in Inflammatory Pain.

Unlabelled: The rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) is a relay in the descending pain modulatory system and an important site of endocannabinoid modulation of pain. Endocannabinoids inhibit GABA release in the RVM, but it is not known whether this effect persists in chronic pain states. In the present studies, persistent inflammation induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) increased GABAergic miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs).

Sex Differences in GABAA Signaling in the Periaqueductal Gray Induced by Persistent Inflammation.

Unlabelled: The ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) is a key structure in the descending pain modulatory circuit. Activation of the circuit occurs via disinhibition of GABAergic inputs onto vlPAG output neurons. In these studies, we tested the hypothesis that GABAergic inhibition is increased during persistent inflammation, dampening activation of the descending circuit from the vlPAG.

GABAergic transmission and enhanced modulation by opioids and endocannabinoids in adult rat rostral ventromedial medulla.

Electrical stimulation of the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) facilitates pain behaviours in neonates but inhibits these behaviours in adults. The cellular mechanisms underlying these changes in RVM modulation of pain behaviours are not known. We optimized whole-cell patch-clamp recordings for RVM neurons in animals older than postnatal day 30 and compared the results to postnatal day 10-21 animals.

Exploring the determinants of trace amine-associated receptor 1's functional selectivity for the stereoisomers of amphetamine and methamphetamine.

Amphetamines are widely abused drugs that interfere with dopamine transport and storage. Recently, however, another mechanism of action was identified: stereoselective activation of the GαS protein-coupled trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1). To identify structural determinants of this stereoselectivity, we functionally evaluated six mutant receptors in vitro and then used homology modeling and dynamic simulation to predict drug affinities.

Dopamine D4 receptor deficiency in mice alters behavioral responses to anxiogenic stimuli and the psychostimulant methylphenidate.

An allele of the human dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) gene (DRD4), containing seven tandem repeats of a 48-base nucleotide sequence (DRD4.7), has been reproducibly found in novelty seekers, substance abusers, and individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. One hypothesis predicts the resultant protein product of the DRD4.

A sensitive membrane-targeted biosensor for monitoring changes in intracellular chloride in neuronal processes.

Background: Regulation of chloride gradients is a major mechanism by which excitability is regulated in neurons. Disruption of these gradients is implicated in various diseases, including cystic fibrosis, neuropathic pain and epilepsy. Relatively few studies have addressed chloride regulation in neuronal processes because probes capable of detecting changes in small compartments over a physiological range are limited.

Novel thyroxine derivatives, thyronamine and 3-iodothyronamine, induce transient hypothermia and marked neuroprotection against stroke injury.

Background And Purpose: Mild hypothermia confers profound neuroprotection in ischemia. We recently discovered 2 natural derivatives of thyroxine, 3-iodothyronamine (T(1)AM) and thyronamine (T(0)AM), that when administered to rodents lower body temperature for several hours without induction of a compensatory homeostatic response. We tested whether T(1)AM- and T(0)AM-induced hypothermia protects against brain injury from experimental stroke.

Trace amine-associated receptor agonists: synthesis and evaluation of thyronamines and related analogues.

We have previously shown that several thyronamines, decarboxylated and deiodinated metabolites of the thyroid hormone, potently activate an orphan G protein-coupled receptor in vitro (TAAR1) and induced hypothermia in vivo on a rapid time scale [Scanlan, T. S.; Suchland, K.

Dopamine D4 receptor-deficient mice, congenic on the C57BL/6J background, are hypersensitive to amphetamine.

Mice lacking the dopamine D4 receptor subtype (D4R-/-) are supersensitive to methamphetamine and cocaine. We sought to expand and refine earlier experiments performed on F2 generation D4R-/- mice by lengthening the behavioral session, utilizing an N10 D4R-/- incipient congenic C57BL/6J line (D4R-/- mice backcrossed with wildtype C57BL/6J mice for 10 successive generations), and investigating whether dopamine D4Rs are necessary for the expression of behavioral sensitization to amphetamine. The D4R-/- mice demonstrated an enhanced and dose-dependent increase in amphetamine-stimulated activity compared to wildtype mice following acute administrations of amphetamine.

3-Iodothyronamine is an endogenous and rapid-acting derivative of thyroid hormone.

Thyroxine (T(4)) is the predominant form of thyroid hormone (TH). Hyperthyroidism, a condition associated with excess TH, is characterized by increases in metabolic rate, core body temperature and cardiac performance. In target tissues, T(4) is enzymatically deiodinated to 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T(3)), a high-affinity ligand for the nuclear TH receptors TR alpha and TR beta, whose activation controls normal vertebrate development and physiology.