SVIBOR - Project code: 3-01-105

MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Strossmayerov trg 4, HR - 10000 ZAGREB
tel.: +385 1 459 44 44, fax: +385 1 459 44 69
E-mail: ured@znanost.hr

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Project code: 3-01-105


Dopamine and other neurotransmitters in health and diseases


Main researcher: LACKOVIĆ, ZDRAVKO (25112)


Assistants
Type of research: basic
Duration from: 01/01/91. to 01/01/94.
Papers on project (total): 61
Papers on project quoted in Current Contents: 14
Institution name: Medicinski fakultet, Zagreb (108)
Department/Institute: Department of Pharmacology
Address: Šalata 11
City: 10000 - Zagreb, Croatia
Communication
E-mail: lac@mamef.mef.hr
Phone: 385 (01) 4566-843
Phone: 385 (01) 4590-219
Fax: 385 (01) 424-001
Summary: 1. Investigation on dopamine metabolism High, but variabile, intensity of dopamine deamination in peripheral tissues of rat, mice and rabbit, and its absence in guinea pig, suggests that precursor vesting is not a regular pathway of dopamine metabolism - but rather that it might indicate independent role of dopamine in some peripheral tissues, at least in some species. 2. Investigation on compensatory growth of adrenal glands, as well as compensatory ovarian hypertrophy and development of ovary during puberty. In contrast to normal growth or stress induced enlargement, compensatory growth of rat adrenal gland is regulated by beta adrenergic receptors. Pubertal growth of rat ovary is influenced by muscarinic receptors. In adult animals muscarinic receptors are not involved in normal growth, but do regulate compensatory growth after unilateral ovaryectomy. This is accompanied by unexpected change in intracellular signalling mechanism i.e. only after unilateral ovaryectomy receptors become coupled with DAG intracellular signalling. 3. Investigations on impact of diabetes on CNS The expression of dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin transporter genes in streptozotocin-diabetic rats is altered. Changes are monoamine - and regionally-specific and more pronounced in chronic diabetes. The similar pattern of altered expression of the monoamine transporter genes is observed in nondiabetic, streptozotocin-intracerebroventricullary treated rats. Both peripheral application of diabetogenic or central (i.c.v.) application of non- diabetogenic doses of alloxan or streptozotocin produced similar behavioural effects i.e.: higher level of spontaneous pain threshold and a reduced sensitivity to the analgesic effect of morphine, hypothermia and thermoregulatory alternations after exposure to cold environment. This observations suggest that mentioned alterations in diabetes mellitus might be of central origin.

Keywords: neurotransmitters, dopamine, compensatory growth, ovary, adrenal gland, muscarinic receptors, beta-receptors, diabetes mellitus, alloxan, streptozotocin, pain, temperature regulation

Research goals: 1. Investigation on dopamine metabolism. The goal is to investigate the existence and intensity of catabolism of dopamine in peripheral nervous system. The presence of high rate of dopamine deamination in peripheral tissues supports the hypothesis that dopamine might have non-preccursor, or neurotransmitter role in peripheral tissues. 2. Investigations on compensatory growth of adrenal gland, as well as compensatory ovarian hypertrophy and development of ovary during puberty. The goal of this part of the project is to elaborate neurotransmitter(s) and receptor type(s) involved in regulation of compensatory growth of adrenal gland and ovary, and ovarian growth during puberty, and further to investigate the mechanism of such a regulation. 3. Investigations of impact of diabetes on CNS. This part of the project includes: A) investigation of the expression of monoamine transporter genes in brains of streptozotocin-diabetic and streptozotocin-intracerebroventriculary treated rats. B) investigation of the brain insulin mRNA expression in diabetic and betacytotoxic-icv treated rats. C) behavioural investigations- the influence of peripheral diabetogenic and central non-diabetogenic dose of betacytotoxics upon thermoregulation and nociception. The goal is to investigate brain dysfunction and possible role in ethiopathogenesis of diabetes mellitus.

COOPERATION - PROJECTS


  1. Name of project: 3-01-006 Drugi glasnici i mehanizmi transporta u stanici
    Name of institution: Zavod za Fiziologiju, Medicinski fakultet Sveušilišta u Zagrebu
    City: 10000 - Zagreb, Croatia

COOPERATION - INSTITUTIONS


  1. Name of institution: Department of Biology, Abo Akademy University
    Type of institution: University/Faculty
    Type of cooperation: Occasional exchange of experts
    City: Turku, Finska

  2. Name of institution: Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Family Medicine, Karolinska institute, Huddinge Hospital
    Type of institution: State institute
    Type of cooperation: Occasional exchange of experts
    City: Huddinge (Štokholm), Švedska

  3. Name of institution: Department of Neurobiology, The Babraham Institute
    Type of institution: State institute
    Type of cooperation: Occasional exchange of experts
    City: Cambridge, Velika Britanija
Other information about the project.
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Last update: 11/01/95
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