A Guide to the Russian Academy of Sciences - University of Texas ...

demonstrate catatonic immobility reaction to tactile stimuli,
immunoresponseveness, alcohol motivation, reactivity to social
pheromonal stimuli as well as in susceptibility to the transplanted
Krebs-2 tumor growth and to the gastric mucosa damage were found
between winners and losers. Expression of behavioral and
physiological changes depended on mouse strains and on duration of
social agonistic experience. Long social stress produced by defeat
experiences induced dramatic changes in social and individual
behaviors of submissive mice, (losers), of the C57BL/6J strain, as
well as in their somatic state, which were similar to symptoms of
human depression with respect to etiology, susceptibility to
treatment, and symptomatology. Chronic unavoidable social stress is
considered a pathogenic factor, which leads to the development of
depressive pathology and anxiety in mice. The study on brain
monoaminergic activity in losers in different stages of the
experimental disorder showed that the development of depression is
accompanied by dynamic changes in brain serotonergic and
catecholaminergic activity, (metabolism, reception), depending on
the duration and depth of the pathological depressive processes.
Participation in State and International Programs:
ISF
Foundations "University of Russia" and "High Education in Natural
Sciences"
Russian State Programm "New Trends in Genetics"
RFBR
Subjects of Scientific Collaboration:
Head: Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Popova Nina K.
The main problem: The role of the brain neurotransmitters in genetic
control of behaviour.
a) Serotonin metabolism, tryptophan hydroxylase activity and serotonin
5-HT1A, 5-HT2A receptor specific binding in rats selected for low
aggressiveness to man.
b) Serotonin metabolism, serotonin 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A receptor specific
binding in rats selected for predisposition to freezing (catalepsy).
c) The role of genotype in expression of anxiety and genetic
correlation of anxiety with tryptophan hydroxylase activity and the
sensitivity to agonists and antagonists of 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT2A,
5-HT2B, 5-HT2C and 5-HT3 receptors in inbred mouse strains.
d) The role of dopamine metabolism and dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in
the control of different kinds of genetically defined defensive
behavior-fear-induced passive defense (freezing) and active defense
(aggression).
e) The role of specific interaction between 5-HT and DA receptors
mechanisms in the mediation of neurological mutations in mice.
E-mail: npopova@cgi.nsk.su
3. Laboratory of Physiological Genetics.
Staff:
1041