Neuroglobin deficiency increases seizure susceptibility but does not affect basal behavior in mice.

Neuroglobin (Ngb) is found in the neurones of several different brain areas and is known to bind oxygen and other gaseous molecules and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro, but it does not seem to act as a respiratory molecule for neurones. Using male and female Ngb-knockout (KO) mice, we addressed the role of Ngb in neuronal brain activity using behavioral tests but found no differences in general behaviors, memory processes, and anxiety-/depression-like behaviors. Oxidative stress and ROS play key roles in epileptogenesis, and oxidative injury produced by an excessive production of free radicals is involved in the initiation and progression of epilepsy. The ROS binding properties led us to hypothesize that lack of Ngb could affect central coping with excitatory stimuli. We consequently explored whether exposure to the excitatory molecule kainate (KA) would increase severity of seizures in mice lacking Ngb. We found that the duration and severity of seizures were increased, while the latency time to develop seizures was shortened in Ngb-KO compared to wildtype adult female mice. Consistently, c-fos expression after KA was significantly increased in Ngb-KO mice in the amygdala and piriform cortex, regions rich in Ngb and known to be centrally involved in seizure generation. Moreover, the measured c-fos expression levels were correlated with seizure susceptibility. With these new findings combined with previous studies we propose that Ngb could constitute an intrinsic defense mechanism against neuronal hyperexcitability and oxidative stress by buffering of ROS in amygdala and other Ngb-containing brain regions.

PACAP signaling is not involved in GTN- and levcromakalim-induced hypersensitivity in mouse models of migraine.

BACKGROUND: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonizing drugs represents the most important advance in migraine therapy for decades. However, these new drugs are only effective in 50-60% of patients. Recent studies have shown that the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP38) pathway is independent from the CGRP signaling pathway. Here, we investigate PACAP38 signaling pathways in relation to glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), levcromakalim and sumatriptan. METHODS: In vivo mouse models of PACAP38-, GTN-, and levcromakalim-induced migraine were applied using tactile sensitivity to von Frey filaments as measuring readout. Signaling pathways involved in the three models were dissected using PACAP-inhibiting antibodies (mAbs) and sumatriptan. RESULTS: We showed that PACAP mAbs block PACAP38 induced hypersensitivity, but not via signaling pathways involved in GTN and levcromakalim. Also, sumatriptan has no effect on PACAP38-induced hypersensitivity relevant to migraine. This is the first study testing the effect of a PACAP-inhibiting drug on GTN- and levcromakalim-induced hypersensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings in our mouse model of migraine using migraine-inducing compounds and anti-migraine drugs, we suggest that PACAP acts via a distinct pathway. Using PACAP38 antagonism may be a novel therapeutic target of interest in a subgroup of migraine patients who do not respond to existing therapies.

Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology to produce a state of compensated hypogonadism.

Concern has been raised over increased male reproductive disorders in the Western world, and the disruption of male endocrinology has been suggested to play a central role. Several studies have shown that mild analgesics exposure during fetal life is associated with antiandrogenic effects and congenital malformations, but the effects on the adult man remain largely unknown. Through a clinical trial with young men exposed to ibuprofen, we show that the analgesic resulted in the clinical condition named "compensated hypogonadism," a condition prevalent among elderly men and associated with reproductive and physical disorders. In the men, luteinizing hormone (LH) and ibuprofen plasma levels were positively correlated, and the testosterone/LH ratio decreased. Using adult testis explants exposed or not exposed to ibuprofen, we demonstrate that the endocrine capabilities from testicular Leydig and Sertoli cells, including testosterone production, were suppressed through transcriptional repression. This effect was also observed in a human steroidogenic cell line. Our data demonstrate that ibuprofen alters the endocrine system via selective transcriptional repression in the human testes, thereby inducing compensated hypogonadism.

Staging of porcine embryos: Comparison of Standard Event System-based statistical clusters with a Carnegie-based staging system.

BACKGROUND: Methods to compare events defined as newly occurring characters in development has advanced vertebrate developmental research but events are not easily extrapolated into traditional staging systems used in biomedical research. RESULTS: First, we scored 95 porcine embryos in the age range of 15 to 33 days post conception by stereomicroscopy using to a slightly modified version of the Standard Event System (SES). Subsequent statistical clustering allowed the embryos to be grouped into 15 clusters. Staging of the same embryos in a way that generally follow the description of external features of human embryos in the Carnegie stages 10 to 23 allowed us to describe 14 stages of porcine embryonic development that correlate to the Carnegie stages of human development with minor species differences. When arranged by average age, the statistic clusters had a distribution that correlated well with the stages produced by the Carnegie-based staging system. CONCLUSIONS: Statistical analysis of developmental events allow grouping of porcine embryos into clusters that can be extrapolated into a Carnegie-based staging system, thus serving the dual purpose of facilitating the use of the pig as a biomedical model animal and providing data for integrating porcine developmental events into a phylogenetic context.

Selective cephalic upregulation of p-ERK, CamKII and p-CREB in response to glyceryl trinitrate infusion.

Background A common characteristic of migraine-inducing substances is that they cause headache and no pain in other areas of the body. Few studies have compared pain mechanisms in the trigeminal and spinal systems and, so far, no major differences have been noted. We compared signalling molecules in the trigeminal and spinothalamic system after infusion of the migraine-provoking substance glyceryltrinitrate. Method A catheter was placed in the femoral vein of rats and one week later glyceryltrinitrate 4 µg/kg/min was infused for 20 min. Protein expression in the dura mater, trigeminal ganglion, nucleus caudalis, dorsal root ganglion and the dorsal horn of the thoracic spinal cord was analysed at different time points using western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Results Glyceryltrinitrate caused a threefold increase in expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases at 30 min in the dura mater and nucleus caudalis ( P < 0.05) and at 2 h in the trigeminal ganglion with very few expressions in the dorsal root ganglion. In the nucleus caudalis, expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases and Cam KII increased 2.6-fold and 3.2-fold, respectively, at 2 h after glycerytrinitrate infusion ( P < 0.01). p-CREB/ATF-1 upregulation was observed only at 30 min ( P < 0.05) in the nucleus caudalis. None of these markers showed increased expression in the regions of thoracic spinal cord dorsal horn. Conclusion The dura, trigeminal ganglion and nucleus caudalis are activated shortly after glycerytrinitrate infusion with long-lasting expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases observed in the nucleus caudalis. These activations were not observed at the spinal level.

Prenatal exposure to paracetamol/acetaminophen and precursor aniline impairs masculinisation of male brain and behaviour.

Paracetamol/acetaminophen (N-Acetyl-p-Aminophenol; APAP) is the preferred analgesic for pain relief and fever during pregnancy. It has therefore caused concern that several studies have reported that prenatal exposure to APAP results in developmental alterations in both the reproductive tract and the brain. Genitals and nervous system of male mammals are actively masculinised during foetal development and early postnatal life by the combined actions of prostaglandins and androgens, resulting in the male-typical reproductive behaviour seen in adulthood. Both androgens and prostaglandins are known to be inhibited by APAP. Through intrauterine exposure experiments in C57BL/6 mice, we found that exposure to APAP decreased neuronal number in the sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN) of the preoptic area (POA) in the anterior hypothalamus of male adult offspring. Likewise, exposure to the environmental pollutant and precursor of APAP, aniline, resulted in a similar reduction. Decrease in neuronal number in the SDN-POA is associated with reductions in male sexual behaviour. Consistent with the changes, male mice exposed in uteri to APAP exhibited changes in urinary marking behaviour as adults and had a less aggressive territorial display towards intruders of the same gender. Additionally, exposed males had reduced intromissions and ejaculations during mating with females in oestrus. Together, these data suggest that prenatal exposure to APAP may impair male sexual behaviour in adulthood by disrupting the sexual neurobehavioral programming. These findings add to the growing body of evidence suggesting the need to limit the widespread exposure and use of APAP by pregnant women.

Live birth rate and number of blastomeres on day 2 transfer.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether the presence of large fragment (LF) and abnormal cell divisions (ACDs) has influenced the correlation between live birth rate and number of blastomeres detected on day 2 by conventional scoring. METHODS: This study included 578 embryos cultured in time lapse and selected for transfer by conventional scoring on day 2. By time-lapse recordings, embryos were reassessed to identify ACDs and/or LFs mistaken as blastomeres. The latter identifications were used to recalculate fragmentation rate and the number of blastomeres. Life birth rate according to number of blastomeres was compared in (a) embryos selected by conventional scoring and (b) embryos reassessed by time lapse. RESULTS: After conventional scoring, embryos with four cells had a significantly higher pregnancy rate than embryos with less than four cells and embryos with more than four cells. By time-lapse assessment, ACDs and/or recalculated fragmentation >25 % was recognized in 106/578 (18.3 %) of transferred embryos. None of them resulted in a live birth. After exclusion of these embryos, the number of blastomeres on the day of transfer did not have any impact on life birth rate. CONCLUSION: Conventional scoring on day 2 did not detect ACDs and LFs mistaken as blastomeres. LFs can lead to a recalculated fragmentation rate to >25 %. No significant correlation between live birth rate and number of blastomeres in day 2 embryos was observed when embryos with ACDs and fragmentation >25 % were excluded. Recognition of ACDs and fragmentation >25 % is more predictive of live birth than number of blastomeres.

Nitric oxide synthase, calcitonin gene-related peptide and NK-1 receptor mechanisms are involved in GTN-induced neuronal activation.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Infusion of glyceryltrinitrate (GTN), a nitric oxide (NO) donor, in awake, freely moving rats closely mimics a universally accepted human model of migraine and responds to sumatriptan treatment. Here we analyse the effect of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) systems on the GTN-induced neuronal activation in this model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The femoral vein was catheterised in rats and GTN was infused (4 µg/kg/min, for 20 minutes, intravenously). Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyse Fos, nNOS and CGRP and Western blot for measuring nNOS protein expression. The effect of olcegepant, L-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and neurokinin (NK)-1 receptor antagonist L-733060 were analysed on Fos activation. RESULTS: GTN-treated rats showed a significant increase of nNOS and CGRP in dura mater and CGRP in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC). Upregulation of Fos was observed in TNC four hours after the infusion. This activation was inhibited by pre-treatment with olcegepant. Pre-treatment with L-NAME and L-733060 also significantly inhibited GTN induced Fos expression. CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that blockers of CGRP, NOS and NK-1 receptors all inhibit GTN induced Fos activation. These findings also predict that pre-treatment with olcegepant may be a better option than post-treatment to study its inhibitory effect in GTN migraine models.

Cytoglobin regulates NO-dependent cilia motility and organ laterality during development.

Cytoglobin is a heme protein with unresolved physiological function. Genetic deletion of zebrafish cytoglobin (cygb2) causes developmental defects in left-right cardiac determination, which in humans is associated with defects in ciliary function and low airway epithelial nitric oxide production. Here we show that Cygb2 co-localizes with cilia and with the nitric oxide synthase Nos2b in the zebrafish Kupffer's vesicle, and that cilia structure and function are disrupted in cygb2 mutants. Abnormal ciliary function and organ laterality defects are phenocopied by depletion of nos2b and of gucy1a, the soluble guanylate cyclase homolog in fish. The defects are rescued by exposing cygb2 mutant embryos to a nitric oxide donor or a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, or with over-expression of nos2b. Cytoglobin knockout mice also show impaired airway epithelial cilia structure and reduced nitric oxide levels. Altogether, our data suggest that cytoglobin is a positive regulator of a signaling axis composed of nitric oxide synthase-soluble guanylate cyclase-cyclic GMP that is necessary for normal cilia motility and left-right patterning.

Effect of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion on Cytoglobin expression in the mouse brain.

Cytoglobin, a new member of the mammalian heme-globin family has been shown to bind oxygen and to have cell protective properties in vitro. Cytoglobin is specifically expressed in a subpopulation of brain neurons. Based on hypoxia-induced up regulation and proposed scavenging of reactive oxygen species Cytoglobin was suggested as a candidate for pharmaceutical stroke treatment. Since production of reactive oxygen species is a hallmark of ischemia, we hypothesized that Cytoglobin expression would be increased and that Cytoglobin expressing neurons would be spared after ischemic injury. Twenty male C57BL/6J mice were used in the experimental design. Ten were sham operated and ten were given permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAo). All animals were euthanized after 24h. From each group, three animals were used for histology and seven for QRT-PCR and western blotting. Immunohistochemical examination of the ischemic penumbra revealed neither changes in Cytoglobin immunoreactivity nor any changes in expression in the necrotic infarct area. The lack of expression change was confirmed by western blotting and QRT-PCR showing no significant difference between sham and pMCAo operated mice. This suggests that Cytoglobin is likely not important for global neuronal protection following ischemia and the role of Cytoglobin in relation to endogenous neuroprotection remains unresolved.

A naturalistic glyceryl trinitrate infusion migraine model in the rat.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) infusion is a reliable method to provoke migraine-like headaches in humans. Previous studies have simulated this human model in anaesthetized or in awake rodents using GTN doses 10,000 times higher than used in humans. The relevance of such toxicological doses to migraine is not certain. Anaesthesia and low blood pressure caused by high GTN doses both can affect the expression of nociceptive marker c-fos. Therefore, our aim was to simulate the human GTN migraine model in awake rats using a clinically relevant dose. METHODS: Awake rats were infused with GTN (4 µg/kg/min, for 20 min, i.v.), a dose just 8 times higher than in humans. mRNA and protein expression for c-fos were analysed in the trigeminal vascular system at various time points using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. RESULTS: A significant upregulation of c-fos mRNA was observed in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis at 30 min and 2 h that was followed by an upregulation of Fos protein in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis at 2 h and 4 h after GTN infusion. Pre-treatment with sumatriptan attenuated the activation of Fos at 4 h, demonstrating the specificity of this model for migraine. CONCLUSION: We present a validated naturalistic rat model suitable for screening of acute anti-migraine drugs.

The Role of Neuroglobin in Retinal Hemodynamics and Metabolism: A Real-Time Study.

Purpose: In this study, we used broadband near-infrared spectroscopy, a non-invasive optical technique, to investigate in real time the possible role of neuroglobin in retinal hemodynamics and metabolism. Methods: Retinae of 12 C57 mice (seven young and five old) and seven young neuroglobin knockouts (Ngb-KOs) were exposed to light from a low-power halogen source, and the back-reflected light was used to calculate changes in the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2), deoxygenated hemoglobin (HHb), and oxidized cytochrome c oxidase (oxCCO). Results: The degree of change in the near-infrared spectroscopy signals associated with HHb, HbO2, and oxCCO was significantly greater in young C57 mice compared to the old C57 mice (P < 0.05) and the Ngb-KO model (P < 0.005). Conclusions: Our results reveal a possible role of Ngb in regulating retinal function, as its absence in the retinae of a knockout mouse model led to suppressed signals that are associated with hemodynamics and oxidative metabolism. Translational Relevance: Near-infrared spectroscopy enabled the non-invasive detection of characteristic signals that differentiate between the retina of a neuroglobin knockout mouse model and that of a wild-type model. Further work is needed to evaluate the source of the signal differences and how these differences relate to the presence or absence of neuroglobin in the ganglion, bipolar, or amacrine cells of the retina.

Distinct neural pathways mediate α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-dependent activation of the forebrain.

alpha(7) nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonists are candidates for the treatment of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Selective alpha(7) nAChR agonists, such as SSR180711, activate neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and nucleus accumbens shell (ACCshell) in rats, regions important for cognitive function. However, the neural substrates involved in these effects remain elusive. Here we identify cortically projecting cholinergic neurons in the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca (HDB) in the basal forebrain (BF) as important targets for alpha(7) nAChR activation, as measured by c-Fos immunoreactivity, a marker of neuronal activation. Selective depletion of these cholinergic neurons abolishes the SSR180711-induced activation of the mPFC but not the ACCshell, demonstrating their critical importance for alpha(7) nAChR-dependent activation of the mPFC. Contrarily, selective depletion of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area abolishes the SSR180711-induced activation of the ACCshell but not the mPFC or HDB. These results demonstrate 2 distinct neural pathways activated by SSR180711. The BF and mPFC are important for attentional function and may subserve the procognitive effects of alpha(7) nAChR agonists, whereas activation of the ACCshell is implicated in the beneficial effect of antipsychotics on the positive symptoms of schizophrenia.

Differential expression of BK channel isoforms and beta-subunits in rat neuro-vascular tissues.

We investigated the expression of splice variants and beta-subunits of the BK channel (big conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel, Slo1, MaxiK, KCa1.1) in rat cerebral blood vessels, meninges, trigeminal ganglion among other tissues. An alpha-subunit splice variant X1(+24) was found expressed (RT-PCR) in nervous tissue only where also the SS4(+81) variant was dominating with little expression of the short form SS4(0). SS4(+81) was present in some cerebral vessels too. The SS2(+174) variant (STREX) was found in both blood vessels and in nervous tissue. In situ hybridization data supported the finding of SS4(+81) and SS2(+174) in vascular smooth muscle and trigeminal ganglion. beta-subunits beta2 and beta4 showed high expression in brain and trigeminal ganglion and some in cerebral vessels while beta1 showed highest expression in blood vessels. beta3 was found only in testis and possibly brain. A novel splice variant X2(+92) was found, which generates a stop codon in the intracellular C-terminal part of the protein. This variant appears non-functional as a homomer but may modulate the function of other splice-variants when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. In conclusion a great number of splice variant and beta-subunit combinations likely exist, being differentially expressed among nervous and vascular tissues.

Using loss- and gain-of-function approaches to target amygdala-projecting serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus that enhance anxiety-related and conditioned fear behaviors.

BACKGROUND: The central serotonergic system originating from the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) plays a critical role in anxiety and trauma-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder. Although many studies have investigated the role of serotonin (5-HT) within pro-fear brain regions such as the amygdala, the majority of these studies have utilized non-selective pharmacological approaches or poorly understood lesioning techniques which limit their interpretation. AIM: Here we investigated the role of amygdala-projecting 5-HT neurons in the DR in innate anxiety and conditioned fear behaviors. METHODS: To achieve this goal, we utilized (1) selective lesion of 5-HT neurons projecting to the amygdala with saporin toxin conjugated to anti-serotonin transporter (SERT) injected into the amygdala, and (2) optogenetic excitation of amygdala-projecting DR cell bodies with a combination of a retrogradely transported canine adenovirus-expressing Cre-recombinase injected into the amygdala and a Cre-dependent-channelrhodopsin injected into the DR. RESULTS: While saporin treatment lesioned both local amygdalar 5-HT fibers and neurons in the DR as well as reduced conditioned fear behavior, optical activation of amygdala-projecting DR neurons enhanced anxious behavior and conditioned fear response. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these studies support the hypothesis that amygdala-projecting 5-HT neurons in the DR represent an anxiety and fear-on network.

Global transcriptome analysis of rat hypothalamic arcuate nucleus demonstrates reversal of hypothalamic gliosis following surgically and diet induced weight loss.

The central mechanisms underlying the marked beneficial metabolic effects of bariatric surgery are unclear. Here, we characterized global gene expression in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (Arc) in diet-induced obese (DIO) rats following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). 60 days post-RYGB, the Arc was isolated by laser-capture microdissection and global gene expression was assessed by RNA sequencing. RYGB lowered body weight and adiposity as compared to sham-operated DIO rats. Discrete transcriptome changes were observed in the Arc following RYGB, including differential expression of genes associated with inflammation and neuropeptide signaling. RYGB reduced gene expression of glial cell markers, including Gfap, Aif1 and Timp1, confirmed by a lower number of GFAP immunopositive astrocyte profiles in the Arc. Sham-operated weight-matched rats demonstrated a similar glial gene expression signature, suggesting that RYGB and dietary restriction have common effects on hypothalamic gliosis. Considering that RYGB surgery also led to increased orexigenic and decreased anorexigenic gene expression, this may signify increased hunger-associated signaling at the level of the Arc. Hence, induction of counterregulatory molecular mechanisms downstream from the Arc may play an important role in RYGB-induced weight loss.

Molecular studies of BKCa channels in intracranial arteries: presence and localization.

Large conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (BK(ca)) are crucial for the regulation of cerebral vascular basal tone and might be involved in cerebral vasodilation relevant to migraine and stroke. We studied the differential gene expression of mRNA transcript levels and protein expression of the BK(Ca) channel in rat basilar, middle cerebral, and middle meningeal arteries by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), quantitative real-time PCR, and Western blotting. Distribution patterns were investigated using in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence studies. RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR detected the expression of the BK(Ca) channel mRNA transcript in rat basilar, middle cerebral, and middle meningeal arteries, with the transcript being expressed more abundantly in rat basilar arteries than in middle cerebral and middle meningeal arteries. Western blotting detected the BK(Ca) channel protein in rat basilar and middle cerebral arteries. In situ hybridization and immunofluorescence studies confirmed that the BK(Ca) channel mRNA and protein expression was localized to smooth muscle cells in all three intracranial arteries. The data thus suggest the presence and localization of both mRNA and protein expression of the BK(Ca) channel in the smooth muscle cell layer in rat basilar, middle cerebral, and middle meningeal arteries.

Neuroglobin in the rat brain (II): co-localisation with neurotransmitters.

In an accompanying article, we found that neuroglobin (Ngb) was expressed in a few well-defined nuclei in the rat brain. Here, we show by use of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation (ISH) that Ngb co-localise with several specific neurotransmitters. Ngb co-localise consistently with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the noradrenergic/adrenergic A1/C1 and A2/C2; the noradrenergic A5, A6 and A7. Ngb were not observed to co-localise TH in the dopaminergic A8-A16 cell populations. Ngb were only seen to co-localise with choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDTg) and in the pontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg). Many Ngb-ir neurones co-localised with neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the LDTg, whereas fewer Ngb-ir neurones co-localise nNOS in the anterior basomedial (BMA) and the posterodorsal medial (MePD) amygdaloid nucleus, in the medial preoptic area (MPA) and in part of the lateral hypothalamus (LH). Ngb-ir neurones co-localise heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in the LDTg and locus coeruleus. Ngb-ir neurones co-localise hypocretin-1 (Hcrt1) in the perifornical (PeF) and perifornical lateral hypothalamus (PeFLH). Within the LH, Ngb-ir neurones co-localised melanin concentration hormone (MCH). A few Ngb-ir perikarya in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN) co-localised arginine vasopressin (aVP). Ngb were not observed to co-localise with serotonin, vasointestinal peptide (VIP), or cocaine amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) at any places. In the present study, we found no evidence that one or more particular neurotransmitters are coupled 100% to Ngb or that Ngb is coupled 100% to a specific neurotransmitter. Based on these findings, we suggest that Ngb could be involved in some sort of regulation of the sleep-wake cycle. Secondly, that Ngb in some neurones is involved in regulation of gaseous neurotransmission, and that this in any given case only involves a subset of neurones. To us this indicates that the cellular and physiological function of Ngb in different subsets of neurones might not be identical, or that all neurones containing Ngb has one thing in common that we at presently not are aware of.

Neuroglobin in the rat brain: localization.

Neuroglobin (Ngb) is a neuronal hemeprotein similar to myoglobin and hemoglobin and shares their capability for oxygen binding. It has thus been proposed that Ngb acts as an oxygen reservoir or combats reactive oxygen species. In the present study, we investigated the Ngb expression pattern in the rat brain using immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). This revealed the interesting finding that Ngb expression is restricted to a few neurone populations, many of which are involved in the sleep-wake cycle, circadian regulation or food regulation. In the forebrain we found intense Ngb expression in neurones in the piriform cortex, the central and medial amygdala, the medial preoptic area, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, the perifornical nucleus, the lateral hypothalamus. Within the mid- and hindbrain Ngb expressing neurones were found in the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus, the pedunculo pontine tegmental nucleus, the locus coeruleus, and the lateral parabrachial nucleus. In the medulla oblongata Ngb expressing neurones were found in the nucleus of the solitary tract. The qRT-PCR data showed a diurnal variation of Ngb mRNA in the SCN, having a peak in the day time (light-period) and nadir during night (dark-period).