title: Effects of 5 daily injections of the neurotensin-mimetic NT69L on the expression of neurotensin receptors in rat brain.
abstract: The effects of one or five daily intraperitoneal injections of a neurotensin (NT) receptor agonist NT69L (2 mg/kg, i.p.) on the expression of NT (NTS), dopamine 1 and 2 receptors, tyrosine hydroxylase, and DOPA decarboxylase using immunohistochemical and real-time PCR were investigated in rats. Except for the striatum, acute injection of NT69L did not affect neurotensin receptors as compared to saline control. However, 5 daily injections of NT69L resulted in down-regulation of both NTS-1 protein and mRNA levels in several brain regions with the striatum showing a dramatic decrease in NTS-1 expression (P<0.05). The down-regulation of NTS-1 in the striatum, hypothalamus, and substania nigra (SN) after 5 daily injections was confirmed by autoradiography. Acute injection of NT69L increased NTS-2 mRNA and protein level in prefrontal cortex (PFC). NTS-3 mRNA expression and protein levels were slightly down-regulated in hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray (PAG), and SN, though the difference was not significant. The results indicated a difference in the profile of NT receptors expression in response to NT69L. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) mRNA was significantly down-regulated in striatum but not in SN. Interestingly, Nurr 1, a transcriptional activator of TH, was dramatically up-regulated in striatum, but down-regulated in PFC, suggesting that different modulating mechanisms may participate in NT69L tolerance in different regions. The present results suggest that distinct NT receptors involved in the effects exerted by NT69L may contribute to the interactions of NT69L with both neural networks and cellular proteins.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, PR China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boules
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gollatz
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tiner
authors.forename: Elliott
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Richelson
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D057126:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 2; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018028:Receptors, Neurotensin / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C539884:Nr4a2 protein, rat; D057126:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 2; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D018028:Receptors, Neurotensin; D014157:Transcription Factors; C407426:neurotensin 69L; D009496:Neurotensin; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase