2011
Nicotine excites hypothalamic arcuate anorexigenic proopiomelanocortin neurons and orexigenic neuropeptide Y neurons: similarities and differences
Huang H, Xu Y, van den Pol AN. Nicotine excites hypothalamic arcuate anorexigenic proopiomelanocortin neurons and orexigenic neuropeptide Y neurons: similarities and differences. Journal Of Neurophysiology 2011, 106: 1191-1202. PMID: 21653710, PMCID: PMC3174824, DOI: 10.1152/jn.00740.2010.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAnorexigenic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neuronsPOMC cellsNPY neuronsProopiomelanocortin neuronsOrexigenic neuropeptide Y (NPY) neuronsHypocretin/orexin neuronsWeight lossNeuropeptide Y cellsWeight-reducing actionsNeuropeptide Y neuronsExcitatory synaptic activityPrevalence of obesityHypothalamic arcuate nucleusΑ4β2 nicotinic receptorsBiggest health problemsSimilar actionsAttenuates ObesityCell typesY neuronsOrexin neuronsCholinergic axonsMembrane potentialNPY cellsArcuate nucleusNicotine action
2007
Cannabinoids Excite Hypothalamic Melanin-Concentrating Hormone But Inhibit Hypocretin/Orexin Neurons: Implications for Cannabinoid Actions on Food Intake and Cognitive Arousal
Huang H, Acuna-Goycolea C, Li Y, Cheng HM, Obrietan K, van den Pol AN. Cannabinoids Excite Hypothalamic Melanin-Concentrating Hormone But Inhibit Hypocretin/Orexin Neurons: Implications for Cannabinoid Actions on Food Intake and Cognitive Arousal. Journal Of Neuroscience 2007, 27: 4870-4881. PMID: 17475795, PMCID: PMC6672093, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0732-07.2007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMelanin-concentrating hormoneHypocretin neuronsMCH cellsCannabinoid actionGreen fluorescent protein-expressing transgenic miceSpike frequencyIonotropic glutamate receptor antagonistsHypocretin/orexin neuronsLocal inhibitory cellsReceptor agonist RSynaptic GABA releaseReceptor antagonist bicucullineGlutamate receptor antagonistsPatch-clamp recordingsGlutamatergic currentsNaphthalenylmethanone mesylatePresynaptic attenuationMiniature IPSCsMCH neuronsAgonist RAntagonist bicucullineGABA releaseOrexin neuronsPostsynaptic effectsSpontaneous IPSCs
2006
Prefrontal Cortex–Projecting Glutamatergic Thalamic Paraventricular Nucleus-Excited by Hypocretin: A Feedforward Circuit That May Enhance Cognitive Arousal
Huang H, Ghosh P, van den Pol AN. Prefrontal Cortex–Projecting Glutamatergic Thalamic Paraventricular Nucleus-Excited by Hypocretin: A Feedforward Circuit That May Enhance Cognitive Arousal. Journal Of Neurophysiology 2006, 95: 1656-1668. PMID: 16492946, DOI: 10.1152/jn.00927.2005.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMedial prefrontal cortexParaventricular thalamic nucleusPVT neuronsHcrt-2Hypocretin/orexin neuronsHypothalamic hypocretin/orexin neuronsDirect excitatory actionHcrt receptor 2Magnesium artificial cerebrospinal fluidThalamic paraventricular nucleusCholera toxin subunit BLow-threshold spikesWhole-cell recordingsArtificial cerebrospinal fluidNonselective cation channelsOrexin neuronsExcitatory actionAutonomic functionDense innervationHypocretin-1Hcrt-1Paraventricular nucleusThalamic nucleiCerebrospinal fluidDistinct membrane properties