Biomedical subjects

Shozo Tomonaga

Publications and source records attributed to Shozo Tomonaga.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Intracerebroventricular injection of L-serine analogs and derivatives induces sedative and hypnotic effects under an acute stressful condition in neonatal chicks.

Four experiments were conducted to clarify the central functions of L-serine and its analogs on an acute stressful condition. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of L-serine (0.21, 0.42 and 0.84 micromol) attenuated stress responses in a dose-dependent fashion, as well as induced sleep, in Experiment 1. The effects of L- and D-serine in Experiment 2, those of L-serine, phosphoserine, acetylserine and L-cysteine in Experiment 3 and those of L-serine, glycine and lysophosphatidylserine in Experiment 4 were compared at an equimolar basis (0.84 micromol). D-Serine, proposed as an endogenous agonist of N-methyl-D-aspatate (NMDA) receptor, did not have sedative and hypnotic effects as observed with L-serine. In contrast, all the analogs and derivatives of L-serine had a sedative effect, although with a different manner in several behavioral markers of stress such as spontaneous activity and distress vocalizations. No significant changes in plasma corticosterone concentration were observed in any experiment. Taken together, the i.c.v. injection of L-serine analogs and its derivatives have sedative and hypnotic effects under an acute stressful condition, which does not involve the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In conclusion, L-serine may be effective in improving anxiety or sleep disorders induced by psychological stressor.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2006

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate attenuates acute stress responses through GABAergic system in the brain.

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a flavonoid, is the principal catechin found in green tea and is distributed in the brain after tea consumption. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of EGCG in the chick brain under an acute stressful condition and to clarify the mechanism by which EGCG attenuates stress behavior with special reference to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of EGCG (50, 100 and 200 microg) suppressed the vocalization which normally occurs during social separation stress. EGCG decreased the time spent in active wakefulness and induced sleep-like behavior in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, i.c.v. injection of EGCG attenuated plasma corticosterone release under social separation stress. These effects of EGCG on distress-induced vocalization were significantly attenuated by the GABAA receptor antagonist picrotoxin but not by the GABAB receptor antagonist CGP 54626 (3-N-(1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)ethylamino)-2-hydroxypropyl cyclohexylmethyl phosphinic acid hydrochloride). These results indicate that EGCG has sedative and hypnotic effects in the brain, partially through GABAA receptors, and consequently moderates an acute stress response.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Nitric oxide involves in carnosine-induced hyperactivity in chicks.

Carnosine has been characterized as a putative neurotransmitter and implicated as having a possible role in neuron-glia cell interactions. We previously confirmed that central administration of carnosine induced hyperactivity in chicks. In the present study, we investigated the effects of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) inhibitors on carnosine-induced hyperactivity in chicks. Carnosine-induced (3.2 micromol) hyperactivity was attenuated by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) co-administration with a non-selective NOS inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester HCl (200 and 400 nmol) in a dose-dependent manner, while the hyperactivity was not attenuated by the inactive isomer of the NOS inhibitor N(G)-nitro-D-arginine methyl ester HCl (400 nmol). The i.c.v. injection of a selective inhibitor of inducible NOS (iNOS) L-N(6)-(1-iminoethyl) lysine HCl (400 nmol) did not affect carnosine-induced hyperactivity. These results suggest that carnosine-induced hyperactivity may be linked to the constitutive NOS (cNOS), rather than iNOS, in the brain. Central carnosine may regulate brain function and/or behaviors by NO generation via cNOS in chicks.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Inhibitory effect of ghrelin on food intake is mediated by the corticotropin-releasing factor system in neonatal chicks.

It is known that, in rats, central and peripheral ghrelin increases food intake mainly through activation of neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons. In contrast, intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of ghrelin inhibits food intake in neonatal chicks. We examined the mechanism governing this inhibitory effect in chicks. The ICV injection of ghrelin or corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), which also inhibits feeding and causes hyperactivity in chicks. Thus, we examined the interaction of ghrelin with CRF and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The ICV injection of ghrelin increased plasma corticosterone levels in a dose-dependent or a time-dependent manner. Co-injection of a CRF receptor antagonist, astressin, attenuated ghrelin-induced plasma corticosterone increase and anorexia. In addition, we also investigated the effect of ghrelin on NPY-induced food intake and on expression of hypothalamic NPY mRNA. Co-injection of ghrelin with NPY inhibited NPY-induced increase in food intake, and the ICV injection of ghrelin did not change NPY mRNA expression. These results indicate that central ghrelin does not interact with NPY as seen in rodents, but instead inhibits food intake by interacting with the endogenous CRF and its receptor.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Central administration of phosphatidylserine attenuates isolation stress-induced behavior in chicks.

The present study investigated whether centrally administered phosphatidylserine (PS) could modify the behavior of chicks under isolation-induced stress. Isolation stress-induced vocalization and spontaneous activity for 10 min, which were attenuated by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of PS. The effect of PS was compared with other phospholipids or L-serine, a constituent of PS. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) had no effect on these behavior, but phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) significantly increased vocalizations and spontaneous activity compared with PS. L-Serine similarly decreased isolation-induced vocalizations and spontaneous activity. To clarify the mechanism by which central PS attenuates isolation-induced stress behavior, the contribution of the acetylcholine (ACh) receptor (AChR) was also investigated. PS was co-injected i.c.v. with the muscarinic AChR (M-AChR) antagonist scopolamine or the nicotinic AChR (N-AChR) antagonist hexamethonium. The suppression of vocalizations and spontaneous activity by PS was partially attenuated by scopolamine, but not hexamethonium. These findings indicate that isolation-induced stress behavior are attenuated by PS, acting partially through the M-AChR.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Anorexigenic effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide and vasoactive intestinal peptide in the chick brain are mediated by corticotrophin-releasing factor.

Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-38 (PACAP) or vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) inhibits feeding in chicks. However, the underlying anorexigenic mechanism(s) has not yet been investigated. The present study investigated whether these peptides influence the activity of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) neural pathways in the brain of chicks. Firstly, we found that ICV injections of PACAP and VIP increased plasma corticosterone concentrations. The corticosterone-releasing effect of PACAP was completely attenuated by co-injection of astressin, a CRF receptor antagonist, but this effect was only partial for VIP. These results demonstrated that CRF neurons mediate the actions of PACAP and, to a lesser extent, VIP, and suggest that the signaling mechanisms differ between the two peptides. This difference may arise from the two peptides interacting with different receptors because the corticosterone-releasing effect of PACAP, but not VIP, was completely attenuated by co-injection of PACAP (6-38), a PACAP receptor antagonist. Finally, we examined the effect of ICV co-injection of astressin on the anorexigenic effects of PACAP and VIP and found that the effects of both peptides were attenuated by astressin. Overall, the present study suggests that the anorexigenic effects of PACAP and VIP are mediated by the activation of CRF neurons.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Comparison of brain arginine-vasotocin and corticotrophin-releasing factor for physiological responses in chicks.

Arginine-vasotocin (AVT), a non-mammalian homologue of mammalian arginine-vasopressin, is a stress-related peptide in the brain of birds. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of AVT on feeding behavior, body temperature, corticosterone release and several behavioral parameters in chicks. These effects were compared with those of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), another stress-related peptide. The ICV injection of AVT inhibited feeding behavior, increased rectal temperature, and increased plasma corticosterone concentrations, but these effects were weaker than those of CRF. AVT induced hypoactivity as evidenced by decreased vocalization and stepping while CRF induced hyperactivity. The present results demonstrate that some functions of brain AVT are similar to those of CRF, although these effects are weaker than those induced by CRF. However, some AVT-induced behaviors were different from CRF, indicating that the physiological roles of AVT in the regulation of stress behavior are different from those of CRF in chicks.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Effect of central administration of carnosine and its constituents on behaviors in chicks.

Even though their contents in the brain are high, the function of brain carnosine and its constituents has not been clarified. Both carnosine and anserine inhibited food intake in a dose dependent fashion when injected intracerebroventricularly. The constituents of carnosine, beta-alanine (beta-Ala) and l-histidine (His), also inhibited food intake, but their effects were weaker than carnosine itself. Co-administration with beta-Ala and His inhibited food intake similar to carnosine, but also altered other behaviors. Injection of carnosine induced hyperactivity and increased plasma corticosterone level, whereas beta-Ala plus His induced hypoactivity manifested as sleep-like behavior. This later effect seemed to be derived from beta-Ala, not His. These results suggest that central carnosine may act in the brain of chicks to regulate brain function and/or behavior in a manner different from its constituents.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Effect of central administration of prolactin-releasing peptide on feeding in chicks.

Prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP) is one of the inhibitory factors in feeding regulation of mammals. However, no information is available for avian species. The present study was done to clarify the effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of PrRP on feeding in chicks. Firstly, we found that ICV injection of PrRP (94-1500 pmol) significantly increased food intake in chicks. The result was completely different from those obtained in mammals. The orexigenic effect of PrRP was significantly weaker than that of neuropeptide Y (NPY), a potent orexigenic peptide, on an equimolar basis. The orexigenic effect of NPY was further enhanced with coinjection of PrRP. These results suggest the existence of a novel orexigenic mechanism in the chick brain, which might differ from NPY-involved feeding regulatory pathway. In addition, ICV injection of PrRP significantly decreased the rectal temperature, but the effect was weaker than that of NPY, suggesting that PrRP may inhibit energy expenditure in chicks. Taken together, we showed here that PrRP may be involved in the regulation of both feeding behavior and energy metabolism in the chick brain.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide and vasoactive intestinal peptide inhibit feeding in the chick brain by different mechanisms.

Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-38 (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) inhibit feeding in chicks. However, the precise anorexigenic mechanisms have not been investigated, since both peptides activate the VPAC receptor in mammals. We investigated which receptor mediates the anorexigenic effects of these peptides in chicks. ICV co-injection of PACAP (6-38), a PAC1 receptor antagonist, attenuated the anorexigenic effect of PACAP but not VIP. On the other hand, ICV co-injection of [D-p-Cl-Phe6, Leu17]-VIP, a VPAC receptor antagonist, did not affect the effects of both peptides. Although these results imply that the effect of VIP was not specific, a subsequent experiment demonstrated that ICV injection of anti-chicken VIP antiserum stimulated feeding and suggested that endogenous VIP inhibits feeding in the chick brain. Collectively, the data suggest that the anorexigenic mechanism of PACAP is different from that of VIP and that an undiscovered VIP receptor may be present in the chicken brain.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Intracerebroventricular injection of vasoactive intestinal peptide and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide inhibits feeding in chicks.

Previous research has indicated an involvement of glucagon superfamily peptides in the regulation of feeding in the domestic chick brain. However the possible roles of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-38 (PACAP) have not yet been investigated. We therefore examined the effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of VIP or PACAP on food intake in chicks. ICV injection of both VIP and PACAP significantly inhibited food intake over 4 h at doses ranging from 12 to 188 pmol. Subsequently, we compared the anorexic effect the glucagon superfamily peptides VIP, PACAP, growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) after ICV injection at an equimolar dose (12 pmol). All four peptides significantly inhibited food intake, although the anorexic effects of VIP and PACAP were weaker than those of GRF and GLP-1. These findings support the hypothesis that glucagon superfamily peptides play an important role in the regulation of appetite in the chick brain.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Central administration of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript inhibits food intake in chicks.

The present study was done to clarify whether intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) affects feeding in chicks. ICV injection of CART significantly inhibited fasting-induced feeding of broiler chicks. In layer chicks, on the other hand, CART inhibited food intake in birds with ad libitum access to feed but only weakly affected intake of fasted birds. In addition, the ICV injection of CART attenuated neuropeptide Y (NPY)-induced feeding in both broiler and layer chicks. These results indicate that CART is one of the important regulators of feeding in chicks, but the suppressive effect on feeding is somewhat different between strains. Furthermore, the present study also demonstrates that CART interacts with NPY in the central nervous system to regulate feeding in chicks.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2003

Beta 3-adrenergic receptor is involved in feeding regulation in chicks.

We examined whether the brain beta 3-adrenergic receptor (B3-AR) is involved in the feeding regulation of chicks. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of BRL37344, a B3-AR agonist, reduced food intake of chicks under ad libitum, but not fasting, feeding conditions. The ICV injection of BRL37344 did not affect chick posture or locomotion activity suggesting that BRL37344 inhibited feeding without induction of sleep-like behavior as caused by norepinephrine. Furthermore, the rectal temperature increased following the ICV injection of BRL37344. Intraperitoneal administration of BRL37344 did not reduce food intake under ad libitum feeding condition. The present study demonstrated that the brain B3-AR is involved in the inhibition of feeding in chicks. We also suggested that activation of the brain affects the energy metabolism in chicks.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗

PubMed2003

Changes in catecholamines and dopaminergic metabolites in pigeon brain during development from the late embryonic stage toward hatch.

While brain development during embryogenesis has been extensively studied in precocial birds, there is no information available on altricial birds. Thus, the concentrations of the catecholamines norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), and dopamine (DA), and the dopaminergic metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylacetic acid (HVA) were determined at several stages during the late embryonic period (E13, E14, E15, E16, E17 and E18) and the day-of-hatch (P0) in the pigeon telencephalon, cerebellum, optic lobe, and brainstem. The concentrations of all catecholamines were higher than those reported in chicken embryos. During embryogenesis, NE, E, DOPAC and HVA concentrations in the various brain parts increased throughout embryonic development until shortly before hatching at which time they decreased. DA, however, continued to increase through hatching in the brainstem, and the changes in DA concentrations varied in several brain parts. In conclusion, catecholamine concentrations in the various brain parts tended to increase with embryonic age, and the concentrations were higher than those in chickens. Furthermore, brain catcholamine metabolism changed at hatch in pigeons.

Animals↗