A5075718864- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
- Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Psychedelics and Drug Studies
- Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
- Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis
- Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
- Birth, Development, and Health
- Medication Adherence and Compliance
- Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
- Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Chemical synthesis and alkaloids
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
- Treatment of Major Depression
- Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Multiple Myeloma Research and Treatments
- Anesthesia and Sedative Agents
- Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
- Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases
- Blood Pressure and Hypertension Studies
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
2020-2025
John Sealy Hospital
2024
Virginia Commonwealth University
2015-2020
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
2015
West Virginia University
2015
Scripps Research Institute
2015
Medical College of Wisconsin
2015
Inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) or monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), the primary hydrolytic enzymes for respective endocannabinoids <i>N</i>-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG), produces antinociception but with minimal cannabimimetic side effects. Although selective inhibitors either enzyme often show partial efficacy in various nociceptive models, their combined blockade elicits augmented antinociceptive effects, effects emerge. Moreover, complete...
Abstract Rationale and objectives Overdose fatalities involving cocaine continue to rise with over 5.3 million users reported in the United States 2022. The abuse liability of is reliant upon inhibition dopamine ( DA ) reuptake consequent increase efflux meso-corticolimbic circuitry that controls reward motivation. Cocaine also increases serotonin 5-HT which integral abuse. 2A receptor R a key regulator release cellular mechanisms underlying effects. actions contribute importantly...
The serotonin 5-HT
The drug overdose crisis has spawned serious health consequences, including the increased incidence of substance use disorders (SUDs), conditions manifested by escalating medical and psychological impairments. While medication management is a key adjunct in SUD treatment, this crystallized need to develop additional therapeutics facilitate extended recovery from SUDs. “hunger hormone” ghrelin acts binding growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1α (GHS1αR) control homeostatic hedonic aspects...
The noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine produces consistent, rapid, and sustained antidepressant effects in patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression. However, ketamine-induced cognitive impairments remain a major concern. present study sought to extend the preclinical evaluation of by evaluating dose (1.0-18.0 mg/kg) time-course (10 min-24 h) on attention using visual signal detection procedure rats. Overall, (10.0-18.0 dose-dependently decreased...
Attention impairment is a common feature of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and MDD-associated cognitive dysfunction may play an important role in determining functional status among this patient population. Vortioxetine multimodal antidepressant that improve some aspects function MDD patients, indirectly increase glutamate neurotransmission brain regions classically associated with attention function. Previous nonclinical research suggests vortioxetine has limited effects on attention....
Drug overdose deaths involving cocaine have skyrocketed, an outcome attributable in part to the lack of FDA-approved medications for treatment use disorder (CUD), highlighting need identify new pharmacotherapeutic targets. Vulnerability cocaine-associated environmental contexts and stimuli serves as a risk factor relapse CUD recovery, with individual differences evident motivational aspects these cues. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) provides top-down control striatal circuitry regulate...
<b>Abstract ID 98540</b> <b>Poster Board 087</b> <b>AIMS:</b> The 5-HT<sub>2A</sub> receptor <b>(5-HT<sub>2A</sub>R)</b> is a promising therapeutic target for neuropsychiatric disorders. There renewed interest in psychedelic 5-HT<sub>2A</sub>R agonists; however, their abuse liability and ancillary pharmacological actions off-target toxicities are of concern. Targeting allosteric sites spatially distinct from the conserved orthosteric site that binds 5-HT creates new opportunities to...
Pain management physicians are increasingly focused on limiting prescription opioid abuse, yet existing tools for monitoring adherence have limited accuracy. Medication event system (MEMS) is an emerging technology tracking medication usage in real-time but has not been tested chronic pain patients long-term regimens.
<b>Abstract ID 27882</b> <b>Poster Board 3</b> <b>Aims:</b> Drug overdose deaths within the U.S. reached an unprecedented high, surpassing 100,000 in 2021. Cocaine overdoses account for ∼15,000 each year and cocaine use disorder (<b>CUD</b>) remains a challenge to treat, with current standard of care reliant primarily on psychosocial interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Efficacious pharmacotherapeutic support CUD is important goal our field. In last decade, there has been...
Ghrelin is a 28‐amino acid peptide produced by epithelial cells in the stomach mucosa and well‐characterized to modulate gastrointestinal function, growth hormone secretion, glucose regulation, appetite, increasingly implicated substance use disorder ( SUD ) phenotypes. actions are transduced through secretagogue receptor 1α GHS1αR which noted exhibit constitutive activity vitro recombinant cell lines, dispersed pancreas islet cells, studies support concept of endogenous ghrelin tone. The...
Physicians are challenged in treating pain patients due to the lack of quantifiable, objective methods measuring clinic; sensation is multifaceted and subjective each individual. There a critical need for point-of-care quantification accessible biomarkers provide analyses beyond scales currently employed clinical care settings. In present study, we an animal model test hypothesis that circulating regulators inflammatory response directly associate with behavioral pain. Upon induction...
<b>Abstract ID 24537</b> <b>Poster Board 547</b> Transmission via 5-HT<sub>2A</sub> receptors (<b>5-HT<sub>2A</sub>R</b>) in medial prefrontal cortex (<b>mPFC</b>) is implicated the regulation of impulsive action which can be assessed models evaluate inhibitory control over prepotent motor responses. Systemic administration a selective 5-HT<sub>2A</sub>R antagonist consistently attenuates choice serial reaction time (<b>CSRT</b>) tasks impulsivity. Intra-mPFC blockade induces subtle...
Aims Opioid overdose deaths and the rise in problematic opioid use patterns that indicate development of disorder ( OUD ) have reached crisis levels United States. Medication‐assisted treatment MAT with therapeutics such as partial μ‐opioid receptor agonist buprenorphine mitigate withdrawal, reduce mortality, intake abused opioids (e.g., fentanyl, heroin). Still, epidemic has crystalized need to identify adjunctive substantially improve odds successful recovery. In present study, we tested...
Over three million Americans suffer from opioid use disorder (OUD), a debilitating neurobiological disease characterized by dysfunctional physical and cognitive states. Despite success for medication-assisted treatment, 50% of OUD patients exhibit recurring relapse episodes, emphasizing the need to identify novel drug targets reduce recidivism rates. Individuals seeking maintain abstinence opioids are challenged environmental context(s) stimuli associated with previous (e.g., paraphernalia)....
<sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Pain management physicians are increasingly focused on limiting unnecessary opioid prescribing and reducing harmful use, yet existing tools for monitoring adherence have limited accuracy. Medication event systems (MEMS), such as “smart bottles”, an emerging technology tracking medication usage in real-time, but not been tested chronic pain patients long-term regimens. </sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> We conducted a preliminary clinical trial to investigate the...
Aims Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is a member of the bromodomain and extra-terminal domain-containing (BET) family chromatin “reader” proteins. Small molecule BET inhibitors have been developed within context cancer inflammation pathologies, more recently are interest for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including opioid use disorder (OUD). BRD4 has two bromodomains (BDs) that recognize specific post-translational histone variants to control downstream transcriptional...