Xu Yan-Ling, Reinscheid Rainer K, Huitron-Resendiz Salvador, Clark Stewart D, Wang Zhiwei, Lin Steven H, Brucher Fernando A, Zeng Joanne, Ly Nga K, Henriksen Steven J, de Lecea Luis, Civelli Olivier
Department of Pharmacology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA.
Neuron. 2004 Aug 19;43(4):487-97. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2004.08.005.
Arousal and anxiety are behavioral responses that involve complex neurocircuitries and multiple neurochemical components. Here, we report that a neuropeptide, neuropeptide S (NPS), potently modulates wakefulness and could also regulate anxiety. NPS acts by activating its cognate receptor (NPSR) and inducing mobilization of intracellular Ca2+. The NPSR mRNA is widely distributed in the brain, including the amygdala and the midline thalamic nuclei. Central administration of NPS increases locomotor activity in mice and decreases paradoxical (REM) sleep and slow wave sleep in rats. NPS was further shown to produce anxiolytic-like effects in mice exposed to four different stressful paradigms. Interestingly, NPS is expressed in a previously undefined cluster of cells located between the locus coeruleus (LC) and Barrington's nucleus. These results indicate that NPS could be a new modulator of arousal and anxiety. They also show that the LC region encompasses distinct nuclei expressing different arousal-promoting neurotransmitters.
觉醒和焦虑是涉及复杂神经回路和多种神经化学成分的行为反应。在此，我们报告一种神经肽，即神经肽S（NPS），可有效调节清醒状态，并且也可能调节焦虑。NPS通过激活其同源受体（NPSR）并诱导细胞内Ca2+的动员来发挥作用。NPSR mRNA广泛分布于大脑中，包括杏仁核和中线丘脑核。向中枢给予NPS可增加小鼠的运动活性，并减少大鼠的异相（快速眼动）睡眠和慢波睡眠。进一步研究表明，NPS对暴露于四种不同应激模式的小鼠产生抗焦虑样作用。有趣的是，NPS在位于蓝斑（LC）和巴林顿核之间的一组先前未定义的细胞中表达。这些结果表明，NPS可能是觉醒和焦虑的一种新的调节因子。它们还表明，LC区域包含表达不同促觉醒神经递质的不同核团。
