Research article summary (published 30 Dec 2004):

Stimulation of cortical acetylcholine release by orexin A.

Full Abstract

The basal forebrain cholinergic system is a critical component of the neurobiological substrates underlying attentional function. Orexin neurons are important for arousal and maintenance of wakefulness and are found in the area of the hypothalamus previously shown to project to the basal forebrain. We used dual-probe in vivo microdialysis in rats to test the hypothesis that orexin A (OxA) increases cortical acetylcholine (ACh) release. Intrabasalis administration of OxA (0, 0.1, 10.0 microM via reverse dialysis) dose-dependently increased ACh release within the prefrontal cortex (PFC). In a separate group of animals, local (intra-PFC) administration of OxA via reverse dialysis was found to have no significant effect on ACh release. In order to obtain anatomical corroboration of the basal forebrain as a site of orexin modulation of corticopetal cholinergic activity, we used immunohistochemistry to examine the relationship between orexin fibers and cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain. We observed widespread distribution of orexin-immunoreactive fibers in cholinergic regions of the basal forebrain, particularly in more rostral areas where frequent instances of apparent appositional contact were observed between orexin fibers and choline acetyltransferase-positive cell bodies. Collectively, these data suggest that orexin projections to the basal forebrain form an important link between hypothalamic arousal and forebrain attentional systems.

Author information

Author/s: Fadel, J (J); Pasumarthi, R (R); Reznikov, L R (LR);

Affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, 6439 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. jrfadel(-atsign-)med.sc.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Neuroscience (Neuroscience), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2005-; vol 130 (issue 2) : pp 541-7

Dates: Created 2005/01/24; Completed 2005/04/25; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 15664710, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Acetylcholine - metabolism; secretion Animals Arousal - drug effects; physiology Attention - drug effects; physiology Basal Nucleus of Meynert - cytology; drug effects; metabolism Choline O-Acetyltransferase - metabolism Cholinergic Fibers - drug effects; metabolism; ultrastructure Dose-Response Relationship, Drug Extracellular Fluid - drug effects; metabolism Hypothalamus - cytology; metabolism Immunohistochemistry

Immunohistochemistry Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism; pharmacology Male Microdialysis Neural Pathways - cytology; drug effects; metabolism Neuropeptides - metabolism; pharmacology Prefrontal Cortex - cytology; metabolism Presynaptic Terminals - drug effects; metabolism; ultrastructure Rats Rats, Sprague-Dawley Synaptic Transmission - drug effects; physiology

Associated Chemicals: Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins (0) ; Neuropeptides (0) ; orexins (0) ; Acetylcholine (51-84-3) ; Choline O-Acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.6)

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