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Worldwide, hypertension and associated cardiovascular problems are on the increase. One currently untapped avenue for treatment is manipulation of areas of the central nervous system involved in cardiovascular control. Our aim is to further current understanding in these areas to open up the possibility of new interventions. Using a multidisciplinary approach we employ neuroanatomical, electrophysiological and molecular biological methods to investigate properties of neuronal circuits in the CNS that underlie control of the cardiovascular system. Current areas under investigation in the lab: Neurocardiology - can manipulations of the nervous system be used to treat cardiovascular diseases? Identifying and promoting the generation of new neurones in the spinal cord - a treatment for spinal injury? Ion channels in CNS neurones; neuronal circuitry in the spinal cord and medulla oblongata controlling the cardiovascular system, We are interested in the role of interneurones in the central autonomic control of the heart and circulation. Projects currently running in the laboratory are looking at two regions in this circuitry - the brainstem (the nucleuas tractus solitarius) and the spinal cord (the intermediolateral cell column). These experiments are investigating the physiology, pharmacology and anatomy of these neuronal circuits Our research receives support from the British Heart Foundation, The Wellcome Trust and the BBSRC. Edwards IJ, Deuchars SA, Deuchars J. The intermedius nucleus of the medulla: a potential site for the integration of cervical information and the generation of autonomic responses. J Chem Neuroanat. 2009 Nov;38(3):166-75. PubMed PMID: 19790285. Wang L, Spary E, Deuchars J, Deuchars SA. Tonic GABAergic inhibition of sympathetic preganglionic neurons: a novel substrate for sympathetic control. J Neurosci. 2008 Nov 19;28(47):12445-52. PubMed PMID: 19020037. Van Der Giessen RS, Koekkoek SK, van Dorp S, De Gruijl JR, Cupido A, Khosrovani S, Dortland B, Wellershaus K, Degen J, Deuchars J, Fuchs EC, Monyer H, Willecke K, De Jeu MT, De Zeeuw CI. Role of olivary electrical coupling in cerebellar motor learning. Neuron. 2008 May 22;58(4):599-612. PubMed PMID: 18498740. Edwards, I. J., Dallas, M.L., Poole, S.L., Milligan, C.J., Yanagawa, Y., Szabo, G., Erdelyi, F., Deuchars, S.A. and Deuchars, J. (2007). The Neurochemically Diverse Intermedius Nucleus of the Medulla as a Source of Excitatory and Inhibitory Synaptic Input to the Nucleus Tractus Solitarii. Journal of Neuroscience . 27(31):8324-33 Milligan, C.J., Edwards, I.J. and Deuchars, J. (2006). HCN1 ion channel immunoreactivity in spinal cord and medulla oblongata. Brain Research, 1081(1):79-91. Brooke, R.E., Atkinson, L.,Edwards, I., Parson, S.H. and Deuchars, J. (2006). Immunohistochemical localisation of the voltage gated potassium ion channel subunit Kv3.3 in the rat medulla oblongata and thoracic spinal cord. Brain Research, 1070(1):101-15 Deuchars, S.A., Milligan, C.J., Stornetta, R.L. and Deuchars, J. (2005). GABAergic neurones in the central region of the spinal cord: a novel substrate for sympathetic inhibition. Journal of Neuroscience, 25(5):1063-70 Dallas, M.L., Atkinson, L., Milligan, C.J., Morris, N.P., Lewis, D.I., Deuchars, S.A. and Deuchars, J. (2005). Localisation and function of the Kv3.1b subunit in the rat medulla oblongata: focus on the nucleus tractus solitarius. Journal of Physiology, 562(Pt 3):655-72 Brooke, R.E., Moores, T.S., Morris, N.P., Parson, S.H. and Deuchars, J. (2004). Kv3 voltage gated potassium channels regulate neurotransmitter release from mouse motor nerve terminals. European Journal of Neuroscience 20(12): 3313 - 3321 Milligan, C.J.; Buckley, N.J.; Garret, M., Deuchars, J. and Deuchars, S.A. (2004). Evidence for inhibition mediated by co-assembly of GABAA and GABAC receptor subunits in native central neurones. Journal of Neuroscience 24(33):9241-50 Brooke, R.E., Deuchars., J. and Deuchars, S.A. (2004). Input specific modulation of neurotransmitter release in the lateral horn of the spinal cord via adenosine receptors. Journal of Neuroscience 24(1):127-137 |
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Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008 Results
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