Changes in mRNA stability have been shown to regulate critical intracellular processes. In this investigation, we studied tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA turnover in functionally and anatomically distinct dopaminergic (DA) populations of the rat hypothalamus. To this end, long-term slice explant cultures from postnatal, preoptic area/hypothalami, containing three anatomically discrete DA populat...

Feeding behavior is regulated by feeding-related peptides in the hypothalamus. The neurons of the arcuate nucleus (ARC), which produces feeding-related peptides, develop and function by three weeks of age in rodents. Because rodents are weaned at three weeks, we studied whether the process of weaning is involved in the development of ARC neurons using monosodium glutamate. Rat pups injected neo...

Available information on the mechanisms responsible for some reproductive lesions observed in experimental trypanosomiasis has not been fully elucidated. This work was undertaken to further study the histopathologic effects of Trypanosoma brucei infection on hypothalamus, adenohypophysis, ovary, uterus, placenta of the West African dwarf (WAD) doe and liver of aborted foetuses. Sixteen does (10...

Neuropeptides are involved in numerous brain activities being responsible for a wide spectrum of higher mental functions. The purpose this concise, structural and qualitative investigation was to map the possible immunoreactivity novel neuropeptide spexin (SPX) within human magnocellular hypothalamus. SPX is newly identified peptide, natural ligand galanin receptors (GALR) 2/3, with no molecula...

Exposure of pregnant ewes to dexamethasone, for only 2 days (term approximately 150 days) at 27 days of gestation (group D), results in adult offspring with high blood pressure. In this study, hemorrhage stress has been used to see whether in these animals the responsiveness of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is altered. In addition, we studied mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorti...

The contents of GABA, glutamine (Glu) and asparagine (Asp) acids as well as activities of glutamatdecarboxylase (GDK; CF 4.1.1.15) and 4-aminobutirat: 2-oxoglutarataminotransferase (GABA-T: CF 2.6.1.19) in brain cortex, cerebellum, brainstem and hypothalamus under impact of testosterone propionate at a dose of 5 mg/100 g of alive weight of adult albino male rats in spring and autumn were studie...

OBJECTIVE The gut-brain axis is considered as a major regulatory checkpoint in the control of glucose homeostasis. The detection of nutrients and/or hormones in the duodenum informs the hypothalamus of the host's nutritional state. This process may occur via hypothalamic neurons modulating central release of nitric oxide (NO), which in turn controls glucose entry into tissues. The enteric nervo...

Adult neurogenesis has been well studied in hippocampus and subventricular zone (SVZ); while this is much less appreciated in other brain regions, including amygdala, hypothalamus, and piriform cortex (PC). The present review aims at summarizing recent advances on the occurrence of new neurons in the PC, their potential origin, and migration route from the SVZ. We further discuss the relevant i...

Hypocretins/orexins are primary excitatory neuropeptides located exclusively in neurons of the lateral hypothalamic area, which send projections to most monoaminergic nuclei. It has been reported that i.c.v. injection of hypocretin 1 (orexin A) enhances wakefulness in rats and mice. The present work was carried out to examine the roles of hypocretins in nociception in mice. The presence of robu...

Today, obesity is the most urgent unsolved medical problem, with the threat of a decreased life expectancy rate for the first time in medical history. Many obese subjects try to lose weight by dieting and exercising, without success on a long term basis. The only therapy with some effect is bariatric surgery with the impact of sustainable adverse effects only suitable in morbid obesity. Why are...