Brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis is critical to maintain homoeothermia and centrally controlled via sympathetic outputs. Body temperature BAT activity also impact energy expenditure, obesity commonly associated with decreased capacity tone. Severely obese mice that lack leptin or its receptor (LepRb) show capacity, tone, body thus are unable adapt acute cold exposure (Trayhurn et al., 1976). LepRb-expressing neurons found in several hypothalamic sites, including the dorsomedial...

The Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat is an established depression model characterized by elevated anxiety- and depression-like behavior across a variety of tests. Here we further specific behavioral functional domains relevant to that are altered in WKY rats. Moreover, since early-life experience potently shapes emotional behavior, also determined whether aspects WKYs’ phenotype were modifiable factors using neonatal handling or maternal separation. We first compared Sprague-Dawley (SD), Wistar,...

The vestibular system is involved in maintaining stable blood pressure and respiration during changes posture essential for eliciting motion sickness-related vomiting. Because the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) participates regulation of sympathetic inspiratory outflow triggering emesis, we tested hypothesis that this region receives inputs cats. In one set experiments, microinjections tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin into medial inferior nuclei labeled projections to middle...

Previous physiological investigations have suggested the existence of a neural circuit that coordinates activation motor and autonomic efferents before or at onset exercise. Traditionally these circuits been postulated to involve forebrain areas. However, overlapping populations medullary reticular formation neurons participate in control described previously, suggesting individual pontomedullary may coordinate both responses. We tested this hypothesis by conducting transneuronal retrograde...

There are currently a large number of "orphan" G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) whose endogenous ligands (peptide hormones) unknown. Identification these peptide hormones is difficult and important problem. We describe computational framework that models spatial structure along the genomic sequence simultaneously with temporal evolutionary path across species show how such can be used to discover new functional molecules, in particular hormones, via cross-genomic comparisons. The...

Numerous physiological and emotionally motivated behaviors, including locomotion, exercise, escape, attack behaviors as well passive coping responses, require concomitant activation of motor sympathetic efferents. Such functional heterogeneity suggests the existence dual function neurons that can simultaneously coordinate output. Because previous investigations have implicated a number mesencephalic telencephalic regions in mediating these we hypothesized presence sympatho-motor neural...

Early-life stress (ELS) can alter neurodevelopment in variable ways, ranging from producing deleterious outcomes to resilience. While most ELS studies focus on its harmful effects, recent work by our laboratory and others shows that elicits positive effects certain individuals. We exposed Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, known for a reactive, anxiety/depression-like phenotype, maternal separation (MS), model of ELS. MS exposure elicited anxiolytic antidepressant behavioral as well improved...

Although considerable evidence suggests that the vestibular system regulates sympathetic outflow during movement and changes in posture, little is known about relative influences on activity of different nerves efferents with functions. In present study, we demonstrated electrical stimulation nerve cat elicited responses innervating head abdominal viscera. This observation multiple body regions affected by signals. These were attenuated >80% when blood pressure was increased to >160...

Orexin and melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) have been implicated in mediating a variety of different behaviors. These include sleep wakefulness, locomotion, ingestive behaviors, fight-or-flight response, as well anxiety- panic-like behaviors rodents. Despite such diversity, all these processes require coordinated recruitment the autonomic somatomotor efferents. We previously mapped locations presympathetic-premotor neurons (PSPMNs) rat brain. putative dual-function send trans-synaptic...

Extensive evidence implicates dysfunction in serotonin (5-HT) signaling the etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) is a source brain, and previous studies have reported within it alterations 5-HT-related gene expression, protein levels, receptor binding, morphological organization mood disorders. In present study, we utilized situ hybridization-guided laser capture microdissection to harvest tissue samples from middle-caudal subregion human DR post-mortem MDD...

The early-life environment critically influences neurodevelopment and later psychological health. To elucidate neural environmental elements that shape emotional behavior, we developed a rat model of individual differences in temperament reactivity. We selectively bred rats for high versus low behavioral response to novelty found high-reactive (bred high-responder, bHR) displayed greater risk-taking, impulsivity aggression relative low-reactive low-responder, bLR) rats, which showed levels...

Abstract Emotionally motivated behaviors rely on the coordinated activity of descending neural circuits involved in motor and autonomic functions. Using a pseudorabies (PRV) tract-tracing approach typically behaving rats, our group previously identified premotor, presympathetic, dual-labeled premotor-presympathetic populations throughout central rostral-caudal axis. The are thought to integrate somatomotor sympathetic activity. To determine whether these dysregulated subjects with altered...

Abstract The topography of neurons containing nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and monoamines was investigated in the guinea pig mesopontine tegmentum. NOS‐containing were identified with NADPH‐diaphorase (NADPH‐d) histochemistry, monoamine‐containing tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) serotonin (5‐HT) immunocytochemistry. distribution NADPH‐d positive cells centered on laterodorsal tegmental (LDT) pedunculopontine (PPT) nuclei. Diaphorase‐containing had a mean soma diameter 23.0 ± 4.1 μm (n = 160)...

Previous studies demonstrated that responses of a particular sympathetic nerve to vestibular stimulation depend on the type tissue innervates as well its anatomic location. In present study, we sought determine whether such precise patterning vestibulosympathetic reflexes could lead specific hemodynamic alterations in response afferent activation. We simultaneously measured changes systemic blood pressure and flow (with use Doppler flowmetry) hindlimb (femoral artery), forelimb (brachial...

Abstract Numerous physiological conditions and emotionally motivated behaviors require concomitant activation of somatomotor sympathetic efferents. Using a virally mediated retrograde transsynaptic tract‐tracing approach, we have previously determined locations presympathetic‐premotor neurons (PSPMNs) in the rat brainstem. These putative dual‐function send projections to targets likely participate sympatho‐somatomotor integration. A significant portion these is found within brainstem areas...