Extracellular glucose-dependent IPSC enhancement by leptin in fast-spiking to pyramidal neuron connections via JAK2-PI3K pathway in the rat insular cortex.

Leptin is produced in the adipocytes and plays a pivotal role in regulation of energy balance by controlling appetite and metabolism. Leptin receptors are widely distributed in the brain, especially in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and neocortex. The insular cortex (IC) processes gustatory and visceral information, which functionally correlate to feeding behavior.

Menthol-induced facilitation of cerebrocortical excitatory propagation induced by air puff stimulation of the nasal cavity in the rat: An optical imaging study.

Temperature plays a critical role in the sensation of airflow in the nasal mucosa. Neural activities of the ethmoidal nerve, a trigeminal afferent, responding to airflow are suppressed by warm airflow, whereas cold airflow enhances the ethmoidal nerve activities, which is mimicked by application of menthol, a cold-sensitive TRPM8 receptor agonist. However, it has been an open issue how menthol modulates the spatiotemporal profiles of neural activities of somatosensory cortical neurons.

Ablation of C-fibers decreases quantal size of GABAergic synaptic transmission in the insular cortex.

The primary sensory cortex exhibits neuroplastic changes responding to sensory disturbances, and GABAergic synaptic transmission plays a critical role in the regulation of plasticity. The insular cortex (IC) integrates orofacial nociceptive signals conveyed via myelinated Aδ- and unmyelinated C-fibers. However, it has been unknown whether a disturbance of nociceptive inputs, such as a deletion of the peripheral nerves, alters GABAergic local circuit in IC.