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Research Focus

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of
Neuronal Signaling in the CNS
The research interests of this laboratory center on the pathways and mechanisms involved in neuronal signaling in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), developmental expression of signaling pathways, and the neuroadaptive mechanisms through which CNS disease and drugs alter neuronal signaling and viability. To address these issues we use electrophysiological techniques (whole cell current clamp, voltage clamp and single channel recordings), fura-2 based microscopic imaging of intracellular calcium, biochemical and gene array analyses, immunohistochemical techniques and in vitro model systems (primary cultures of CNS neurons and acutely isolated brain slices). Current research projects include: (a) identification of neuroadaptive mechanisms involved in CNS actions of cytokines and chemokines important in CNS disease, (b) pathways involved in intracellular calcium signaling in CNS neurons, (c) the physiological role of cannabinoid receptors in CNS neuronal function, and (d) the mechanisms involved in neuroadaption to chronic alcohol exposure at synaptic pathways in the hippocampus.

Education

Ph.D., Illinois Institute of Technology, 1975

Awards & Professional Activities

Member, John Sealy Memorial Endowment Review Panel; Arizona Disease Control Research Commission National Peer Review Panel; Co-chair, Neuroscience Seminar Series Program, The Scripps Research Institute; Member, Editorial Reviewing Board, Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research; Member, Editorial Reviewing Board, The Cerebellum

Selected References

Liljelund, P., Netzeband, G. and Gruol, D.L. (2000) L-type calcium channels mediate calcium oscillations in early postnatal Purkinje neurons, Journal of Neuroscience 20:7394-7403.

Roberto, M., Nelson, T.E., Ur, C.L. Brunneli, M., Sanna, P.P and Gruol, D.L. (2003) The transient depression of CA1 LTP induced by chronic intermittent ethanol exposure is associated with an inhibition of MAPKs, European Journal of Neuroscience, 17:1646-1654.

Conroy, S. M. Nguyen, V., Quina, L.A., Blakely-Gonzales, P.K., Ur, C., Netzeband, J G., Prieto, A.L. and Gruol, D.L. (2004) Interleukin-6 produces neuronal loss in developing cerebellar granule neuron cultures, Journal of Neuroimmunology, in press

Nelson, T.E. and Gruol, D.L., The chemokine CXCL10 modulates excitatory activity and intracellular calcium signaling in cultured hippocampal neurons, Journal of Neuroimmunology, in press.