A5056682052- Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Treatment of Major Depression
- Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
- Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Nerve injury and regeneration
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
- Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Eicosanoids and Hypertension Pharmacology
- Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
- Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
- Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Pharmacological Effects and Assays
The University of Texas at El Paso
2016-2025
California State University, San Bernardino
2008-2019
Florida State University
2008-2014
University of Maryland, Baltimore
2014
University of Baltimore
2014
California State University System
2007-2014
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
2010
Abstract Exposure to stress is highly correlated with the emergence of mood-related illnesses. Because major depressive disorder often emerges in adolescence, we assessed effects social defeat on responses depressive-like behaviors juvenile mice. To do this, postnatal day (PD) 35 male c57BL/6 mice were exposed 10 days (PD35-44), while control handled daily. Twenty-four hours after last episode (PD45), separate groups tested interaction, forced swimming, sucrose preference, and elevated...
The transcription factor deltaFosB (DeltaFosB), induced in nucleus accumbens (NAc) by chronic exposure to drugs of abuse, has been shown mediate sensitized responses these drugs. However, less is known about a role for DeltaFosB regulating natural rewards. Here, we demonstrate that two powerful reward behaviors, sucrose drinking and sexual behavior, increase levels the NAc. We then use viral-mediated gene transfer study how such induction influences behavioral overexpression NAc increases...
Oxytocin increases the salience of both positive and negative social contexts it is thought that these diverse actions on behavior are mediated in part through circuit-specific action. This hypothesis based primarily manipulations oxytocin receptor function, leaving open question whether different populations neurons mediate effects behavior. Here we inhibited synthesis a stress-sensitive population specifically within medioventral bed nucleus stria terminalis (BNSTmv). knockdown prevented...
Social stress, including bullying during adolescence, is a risk factor for common psychopathologies such as depression. To investigate the neural mechanisms associated with juvenile social stress-induced mood-related endophenotypes, we examined behavioral, morphological, and biochemical effects of defeat stress model depression on hippocampal dendritic spines within CA1 stratum radiatum. Adolescent (postnatal day 35) male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to episodes 10 consecutive days....
Neurotrophic factors and their signaling pathways have been implicated in the neurobiological adaptations response to stress regulation of mood-related behaviors. A candidate molecule mediating these cellular responses is extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), although its functional role mood remains be fully elucidated. Here we show that acute (1 d) or chronic (4 weeks) exposure unpredictable increases phosphorylation ERK1/2 two downstream targets (ribosomal S6 mitogen-...
There is a rise in the concurrent use of methylphenidate (MPH) and fluoxetine (FLX) pediatric populations. However, long-term neurobiological consequences combined MPH FLX treatment (MPH + FLX) during juvenile periods are unknown. We administered saline (VEH), MPH, FLX, or to Sprague Dawley male rats from postnatal day 20 34, assessed their reactivity reward- mood-related stimuli 24 h 2 months after drug exposure. also mRNA protein levels within ventral tegmental area (VTA) determine effect...
The mechanisms underlying the enduring neurobiological consequences of antidepressant exposure during adolescence are poorly understood. Here, we assessed long-term effects to fluoxetine (FLX), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, on behavioral reactivity emotion-eliciting stimuli. We administered FLX (10 mg/kg, bi-daily, for 15 d) male adolescent [postnatal day 35 (P35) P49] C57BL/6 mice. Three weeks after treatment (P70), aversive stimuli (i.e., social defeat stress, forced swimming,...
Altered activity of the ventral pallidum (VP) underlies disrupted motivation in stress and drug exposure. The VP is a very heterogeneous structure composed many neuron types with distinct physiological properties projections. Neuronal PAS 1-positive (Npas1 + ) neurons are thought to send projections brain regions critical for motivational behavior. While Npas1 have been characterized globus pallidus external, there limited information on these VP. To address this limitation, we evaluated...
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has a critical role in stress response including neuropsychiatric disorders that are precipitated by stress, such as major depressive disorder (MDD). BDNF acts through its full-length receptor tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) to trigger pro-plasticity effect. In contrast, the truncated isoform of (TrkB.t1) triggers an anti-plasticity outcomes, acting hippocampus resilience effect, and, inversely, nucleus accumbens (NAc), susceptible molecule. It is unknown if...
Previous research demonstrates that Slc6a15, a neutral amino acid transporter, is associated with depression susceptibility. However, no study examined Slc6a15 in the ventral striatum [nucleus accumbens (NAc)] depression. Given our previous characterization of as striatal dopamine receptor 2 (D2)-neuron-enriched gene, we role NAc D2-neurons mediating susceptibility to stress male mice. First, showed <i>Slc6a15</i> mRNA was reduced mice susceptible chronic social defeat (CSDS), paradigm...
Abstract In this study, we examined the ability of post‐training injections cocaine to facilitate spatial memory performance using Morris water maze (MWM). We also investigated role that hippocampal protein kinase A (PKA) and extracellular signal‐regulated 1/2 (ERK) signaling may play in cocaine‐mediated consolidation processes. Male female C57BL/6 mice were first trained a MWM task (eight consecutive trials) then injected with (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5, or 20 mg/kg), for platform location was...