RESEARCH ACTIVITY
My primary responsibility in the Department of Biology at ECU is to teach the cell physiology labs (3311). The labs are designed to integrate the students knowledge of the systems controlling cell function, presented in the lecture portion of this course (3310), with additional material to provide hands-on learning experience. This hands-on experience reinforces and broadens the students understanding of the homeotic systems, which govern the physiology of the cell.
My scientific research has been in the area of behavioral neuropharmacology. I have studied the neurochemical changes that occur during drug seeking behavior in rats addicted to cocaine. The reinforcing (addictive) effects of cocaine are the result of permanent neurochemical changes that occur after repeated exposure of specific neural networks to potent psychostimulants such as cocaine. Using Conditioned Place Preference (CCP) as a behavioral model to study addictive behavior, neurotransmitter release in specific areas of the brain during drug seeking behavior can be studied. Neurotransmitters, implicated to play a significant role in the neuroplastic effects of cocaine, can be studied using the techniques of microdialysis and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Microdialysis is used to isolate microliter amounts of fluid from the brain and HPLC is used to assay for specific neutrtransmitters present in these samples. A temporal profile of extracellular neurotransmitter levels that parallel animal behavior can be produced. In this manner, changes in neurochemicals can be matched with changes in behavior therefore, the neurotranssmitters involved in drug-seeking or "craving" behavior can be analyzed.
More recently I have studied the role of the most abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA). The action of this neurochrmical on GABAA receptor mediated neural activity in the basal forebrain provides insight into the mechanisms controlling neural networks involved, not only in drug craving and addiction but also in motor functions, in particular initiation and control of movement. Studies have shown that the neurotransmitter acetycholine is a primary regulator of neural activity. The level of neuropeptide mRNA expression in two sets of neurons can be used as an indicator of neural activity. The neurons I examined project from the striatum to the globus pallidus and substantia nigra, hence these neurons are called striatopallidal and striatonigral neurons respectively. Extensive studies utilizing in situ hygridization deteremined that GABA plays only a minimal role in controlling striatal neuropeptide expression.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
McMIllen, B.A., Jones, E.A., Hill, L.J. and Williams, H.L., Amperozide, a 5-HT2 antagonist, attenuates craving for cocaine by rats. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 46:125-129, 1993.
Jones, E.A., McMillen, B.A., Amperozide attinuates the reinforcing effects of cocaine in the conditioned place perference paraddigm. Pharrmaceutical Sciences. 1:471-474, 1995.
Jones, E.A., McMIllen, B.A., The xaardiovascular effects of amperozide: Interaactions with cocaine. Pharmacol & Toxicol. 84:53-58, 1999.
Jones, E.A., Wang, J.Q., Mayer, D.C., and McGinty, J.F., The role of dorsal striatal GABAA receptors in dopamine agonist-induced behavior and neuropeptide gene expression. Brain Res. 836:99-109, 1999.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
COURSES TAUGHT
Animal Physiology
Cell Physiology Labs
Human Anatomy and Physiology I
Human Ananomy and Physiology II
The Fundamentals of Neurophysiology
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Sigma Xi
Society for Neurosciennce
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HONORS
1996 Doctoral Student Association Research Award. School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 1996 |
