title: MC4R expression in pedunculopontine nucleus involved in the modulation of midbrain dopamine system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Separate studies have implicated the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) in processing aversive stimuli to dopamine systems, and melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) are broadly expressed by the neurons in the PPTg, but the exact neurosubstrate underlying the regulation of dopamine systems by the central melanocortin pathway is poorly understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, the PPTg of 6 adult mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the MC4R promoter was detected by fluorescence immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A large number of GFP-positive neurons in the dissipated parts of PPTg (dpPPTg) were found, and approximately 50% of MC4R-GFP- positive neurons in the dpPPTg coexpressed tyrosine hydroxylase, a marker of dopamine neurons, indicating that they were dopaminergic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support the hypothesis that MC4R signaling in the dpPPTg may involve in the modulation of midbrain dopamine systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xue-Bi
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tao-Tao
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hong-Bing
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Key Laboratory of Neurostimulation Beijing 100050, China ; Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University Beijing, China ; Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jian-Guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000378:metabolism; D045042:Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D044105:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D044105:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 4; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase
keywords: Melanocortin-4 receptor; dopamine; the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus