ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5833-3698
Current Organisation
Medical University of Graz
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-01-2017
DOI: 10.1038/SREP40968
Abstract: Altered levels of colonic peptide YY (PYY) have been reported in patients suffering from functional and inflammatory bowel disorders. While the involvement of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and Y receptors in the regulation of nociception is well established, the physiological role of PYY in somatic and visceral pain is poorly understood. In this work, the role of PYY in pain sensitivity was evaluated using PYY knockout (PYY (−/−) ) mice and Y2 receptor ligands. PYY (−/−) mice were more sensitive to somatic thermal pain compared to wild type (WT) mice. Visceral pain was assessed by evaluating pain-related behaviors, mouse grimace scale (MGS) and referred hyperalgesia after intrarectal administration of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC, 1 or 2%) or its vehicle, peanut oil. The pain-related behaviors induced by AITC were significantly exaggerated by PYY deletion, whereas the MGS readout and the referred hyperalgesia were not significantly affected. The Y2 receptor antagonist, BII0246, increased pain-related behaviors in response to intrarectal AITC compared to vehicle treatment while the Y2 receptor agonist, PYY(3–36), did not have a significant effect. These results indicate that endogenous PYY has a hypoalgesic effect on somatic thermal and visceral chemical pain. The effect on visceral pain seems to be mediated by peripheral Y2 receptors.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 26-04-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-06-2016
DOI: 10.1038/SREP28182
Abstract: Environmental enrichment (EE) refers to the provision of a complex and stimulating housing condition which improves well-being, behaviour and brain function of laboratory animals. The mechanisms behind these beneficial effects of EE are only partially understood. In the current report, we describe a link between EE and neuropeptide Y (NPY), based on findings from NPY knockout (KO) mice exposed to EE. Relative to EE-housed wildtype (WT) animals, NPY KO mice displayed altered behaviour as well as molecular and morphological changes in amygdala and hippoc us. Exposure of WT mice to EE reduced anxiety and decreased central glucocorticoid receptor expression, effects which were absent in NPY KO mice. In addition, NPY deletion altered the preference of EE items and EE-housed NPY KO mice responded to stress with exaggerated hyperthermia, displayed impaired spatial memory, had higher hippoc al brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA levels and altered hippoc al synaptic plasticity, effects which were not seen in WT mice. Accordingly, these findings suggest that NPY contributes to the anxiolytic effect of EE and that NPY deletion reverses the beneficial effects of EE into a negative experience. The NPY system could thus be a target for “enviromimetics”, therapeutics which reproduce the beneficial effects of enhanced environmental stimulation.
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 29-04-2014
Abstract: In the modern world, stress-related diseases, including depression and anxiety disorders, are rapidly increasing. Neuropeptides are important modulators of these diseases. The neuropeptide galanin (GAL) has already been implicated in anxiety- and depression-related behaviors, but the relevant receptor subtypes remain to be elucidated. In the present work, we are the first, to our knowledge, to examine the role of the GAL 3 receptor in anxiety- and depression-related behaviors in GAL 3 receptor -deficient mice. We provide evidence that this receptor subtype is involved in stress-related diseases, and we propose this receptor as a target for alternative treatment strategies for mood disorders.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Florian Reichmann.