A Brain Region-Dependent Alteration in the Expression of Vasopressin, Corticotropin-Releasing Factor, and Their Receptors Might Be in the Background of Kisspeptin-13-Induced Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activation and Anxiety in Rats.

Previously, we reported that intracerebroventricularly administered kisspeptin-13 (KP-13) induces anxiety-like behavior and activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in rats. In the present study, we aimed to shed light on the mediation of KP-13's stress-evoking actions. The relative gene expressions of the corticotropin-releasing factor (Crf, Crfr1, and Crfr2) and arginine vasopressin (Avp, Avpr1a, and Avpr1b) systems were measured in the amygdala and hippocampus of male Wistar rats after icv KP-13 treatment. CRF and AVP protein content were also determined. A different set of animals received CRF or V1 receptor antagonist pretreatment before the KP-13 challenge, after which either an open-field test or plasma corticosterone levels measurement was performed. In the amygdala, KP-13 induced an upregulation of Avp and Avpr1b expression, and a downregulation of Crf. In the hippocampus, the mRNA level of Crf increased and the level of Avpr1a decreased. A significant rise in AVP protein content was also detected in the amygdala. KP-13 also evoked anxiety-like behavior in the open field test, which the V1 receptor blocker antagonized. Both CRF and V1 receptor blockers reduced the KP-13-evoked rise in the plasma corticosterone level. This suggests that KP-13 alters the AVP and CRF signaling and that might be responsible for its effect on the HPA axis and anxiety-like behavior.

Kisspeptin modulates pain sensitivity of CFLP mice.

Kisspeptin, a hypothalamic neuropeptide, is a member of the RF-amide family, which have been known to modify pain sensitivity in rodents. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of kisspeptin-13 (KP-13), an endogenous derivative of kisspeptin, on nociception in adult male and female CFLP mice and the possible interaction of KP-13 with morphine on nociception. Mice were injected with different doses of KP-13, 30, 60 and 120 min after of which the nociceptive sensitivity were assessed via the tail-flick test. To investigate the receptor involved in the mediation a kisspeptin receptor antagonist (KP-234) pretreatment was applied before KP-13 administration. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of KP-13 on the acute antinociceptive effect of morphine, on acute morphine tolerance and on naloxone-precipitated withdrawal. Last, the Von Frey test was used in order to assess KP-13's effect on mechanical nociception. Our results showed that KP-13 decreased the nociceptive threshold of both males and females independent of sex, which was prevented by KP-234. Furthermore, KP-13 treatment depressed the acute antinociceptive effect of morphine and attenuated the development of morphine tolerance. KP-13 also induced a mechanical hypersensitivity. These data underlie kisspeptin's hyperalgesic action and argues for the role of kisspeptin receptor 1 in the mediation of its action. Furthermore, our results suggest that central KP-13 administration can modify the acute effects of morphine.

The effect of obestatin on anxiety-like behaviour in mice.

Obestatin is a 23 amino acid-peptide, derived from the same preproghrelin-gene as ghrelin. Obestatin was originally reported as a ghrelin antagonist with anorexigenic activity, but later it was proven to be involved in multiple processes including sleep, memory retention, anxiety, morphine-induced analgesia and withdrawal. In the present study, in male CFLP mice, by using computerised open field (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM) tests we have investigated the behavioural effects of the acute intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of obestatin alone, and following ghrelin receptor blockage with [d-Lys3]-Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-6 ([d-Lys3]- GHRP6) or corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) receptor 1 antagonism with antalarmin. Plasma corticosterone levels were measured for each treatment group by using chemofluorescent assay. Our results in the EPM test showed that obestatin reduced the percent of time spent in the open arms. The basal locomotor activity (ambulation distance and time, rearing and jumping) was not influenced significantly neither in the obestatin-treated groups, nor in those receiving pre-treatment with antalarmin or [d-Lys3]-GHRP6. The percentage of central ambulation distance however was decreased by obestatin, while the percentage of time spent in the central zone showed a decreasing tendency. The administration of antalarmin or [d-Lys3]-GHRP6 have both reversed the effect of obestatin on central ambulation. Plasma corticosterone levels were elevated by obestatin, which effect was antagonised by the injection of antalarmin. These are the first results to indicate that obestatin exerts anxiogenic-like effect in mice, which might be mediated through ghrelin receptor and CRH activation.

Obestatin prevents analgesic tolerance to morphine and reverses the effects of mild morphine withdrawal in mice.

Obestatin is a 23-amino acid gut-derived neuropeptide, encoded by the same gene with ghrelin. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of obestatin on the acute and chronic analgesic actions of morphine and on mild morphine withdrawal. Open-field (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM) tests were used to assess mild morphine withdrawal-induced behavior changes and the heat-radiant tail-flick assay was used to investigate analgesic actions of morphine. CFLP male mice were treated twice a day with graded doses of morphine in EPM and OF experiments and once a day in tail-flick studies. Obestatin (1.5µg/2µl) was administrated once a day in all experiments. Furthermore, 0.2mg/kg naloxone or saline was administered after the final injection of morphine at a dose of 20mg/kg in EPM and OF. These behavioral parameters were monitored in the OF: the percentage of center ambulation time and distance; whereas in the EPM: the time spent in open arms and the entries into open arms compared to the total time (%OAT) and entries (%OAE). In the OF, obestatin significantly decreased the percentage of time spent in the center in mice undergoing naloxone-precipitated mild morphine withdrawal. EPM results were similar to open field, but obestatin had no significant effect on parameters mentioned above. Besides, obestatin maintained the analgesic effect of morphine 90 and 120min after morphine injection in mice treated with morphine receiving obestatin compared to mice treated with morphine. In tolerance studies, obestatin diminished the analgesic tolerance to morphine on the 5th day. In this study we confirmed that obestatin reversed the effect of mild morphine withdrawal and enhances the analgesic effect of morphine. These data suggest that obestatin may have a role in opioid-induced analgesia and in behavioral responses induced by opioid withdrawal.

The effect of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide on elevated plus maze behavior and hypothermia induced by morphine withdrawal.

The aim of the present investigation was to study the effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) on morphine withdrawal-induced behavioral changes and hypothermia in male CFLP mice. Elevated plus maze (EPM) and jump tests were used to assess naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal-induced behavior responses. Different doses of subcutaneous (s.c.) naloxone, (0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg, respectively) were used to precipitate the emotional and psychical aspects of withdrawal on EPM and 1 mg/kg (s.c.) was used to induce the somatic withdrawal signs such as jumping, and the changes in body temperature. In our EPM studies, naloxone proved to be anxiolytic in mice treated with morphine. Chronic intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of PACAP alone had no significant effect on withdrawal-induced anxiolysis and total activity at doses of 500 ng and 1 µg. At dose of 500 ng, however, PACAP significantly counteracted the reduced motor activity in the EPM test in mice treated with morphine and diminished the hypothermia and shortened jump latency induced by naloxone in mice treated with morphine. These findings indicate that anxiolytic-like behavior may be mediated via a PACAP-involved pathway and PACAP may play an important role in chronic morphine withdrawal-induced hypothermia as well.

Reduced molybenum-oxide-based core-shell hybrids: "blue" electrons are delocalized on the shell.

The present study refers to a variety of reduced metal-oxide core-shell hybrids, which are unique with regard to their electronic structure, their geometry, and their formation. They contain spherical {Mo72Fe30} Keplerate-type shells encapsulating Keggin-type polyoxomolybdates based on very weak interactions. Studies on the encapsulation of molybdosilicate as well as on the earlier reported molybdophosphate, coupled with the use of several physical methods for the characterization led to unprecedented results (see title). Upon standing in air at room temperature, acidified aqueous solutions obtained by dissolving sodium molybdate, iron(II) chloride, acetic acid, and molybdosilicic acid led to the precipitation of monoclinic greenish crystals (1). A rhombohedral variant (2) has also been observed. Upon drying at room temperature, compound 3 with a layer structure was obtained from 1 in a solid-state reaction based on cross-linking of the shells. The compounds 1, 2, and 3 have been characterized by a combination of methods including single-crystal X-ray crystallography, magnetic studies, as well as IR, Mössbauer, (resonance) Raman, and electronic absorption spectroscopy. In connection with detailed studies of the guest-free two-electron-reduced {Mo72Fe30}-type Keplerate (4) and of the previously reported molybdophosphate-based hybrids (including 31P NMR spectroscopy results), it is unambiguously proved that 1, 2, and 3 contain non-reduced Keggin ion cores and reduced {Mo72Fe30}-type shells. The results are discussed in terms of redox considerations (the shell as well as the core can be reduced) including those related to the reduction of "molybdates" by FeII being of interdisciplinary including catalytic interest (the MoVI/MoV and FeIII/FeII couples have very close redox potentials!), while also referring to the special formation of the hybrids based on chemical Darwinism.