申请人:Bartlett Selena
公开号:US20060178307A1
公开(公告)日:2006-08-10
This invention pertains to the discoveries that orexin and/or CRF increase NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor)-mediated currents at excitatory synapses onto a subset of dopamine cells in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the mammalian brain. The orexin effect can be blocked by an orexin receptor type 1 (OXR1). The CRF effect can be blocked by a CRF receptor 2 (CRF-R2) antagonist or by an inhibitor of the CRF-binding protein (CRF-BP). Methods are provided that exploit these discoveries to modulate NMDAR-mediated currents in vivo and in vitro and to screen for modulators (upregulators or downregulators) of NMDA-mediated currents. In vivo methods include the use of modulators of the orexin and CRF pathways to of mitigate a symptom of substance abuse. The invention also provides methods and compositions for co-administration of modulators that act via the orexin and CRF pathways.
本发明发现,在哺乳动物大脑腹侧被盖区(VTA)多巴胺细胞亚群的兴奋性突触上,奥曲肽和/或 CRF 可增加 NMDAR(N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸受体)介导的电流。奥曲肽效应可被奥曲肽受体 1 型(OXR1)阻断。CRF 效应可被 CRF 受体 2(CRF-R2)拮抗剂或 CRF 结合蛋白(CRF-BP)抑制剂阻断。本文提供的方法利用了这些发现来调节体内和体外 NMDAR 介导的电流,并筛选出 NMDA 介导电流的调节剂(上调剂或下调剂)。体内方法包括使用奥曲肽和 CRF 通路的调节剂来减轻药物滥用的症状。本发明还提供了联合施用通过奥曲肽和 CRF 途径起作用的调节剂的方法和组合物。