Nikhil M. Urs

This study shows that semaglutide increases intramuscular fat formation and inhibits muscle fiber growth after injury, suggesting potential adverse effects on muscle regeneration.

This study shows midbrain dopamine neurons modulate splenic immunity via a brain-to-body circuit involving the DVC and celiac ganglion, reducing spleen weight and naive CD4+ T-cell populations.

This study shows that LC injury modifies neuroinflammation in the ventral midbrain during DSS-induced colitis, highlighting the neuroprotective role of the locus coeruleus.

The paper develops a transgenic mouse model with a fluorescent caspase activity reporter to quantify nonapoptotic caspase activity in rodent brains and demonstrates its use in studying neurophysiological and stress-related effects.

The paper identifies separate vagal reward circuits for fat and sugar that drive overeating when both are activated, even when calorie intake is controlled.

This study investigates the mechanism of psychostimulant-induced calming in ADHD by analyzing neurotransmitter effects in different mouse models.

The paper investigates how α-synuclein dysregulation affects D2 receptor activity in dopamine neurons, showing it contributes to neuronal vulnerability and identifies potential therapeutic targets.

The paper uses retrograde labeling to show that D1 and D2 receptor-expressing neurons in the mouse prefrontal cortex are topographically organized and project to distinct subcortical regions.

This study shows that loss of β-arrestin2 in D2 neurons reduces dopamine inhibition of D2-MSNs and alters behavioral responses to psychostimulants and opioids, while having minimal effect on D1 neurons.

This study shows that increased tyrosine hydroxylase activity in mice leads to higher dopamine levels, amphetamine response, and oxidative stress markers, suggesting a potential mechanism for neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease.