Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Laboratory

Ramaley N379

Department of Integrative Physiology
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0354
phone: 303-492-6029
fax: 303-492-0811

Research Interests

The neural mechanisms underlying emotional behavior and stress-induced regulation of emotional behavior. Our main focus is the role of serotonergic systems in the regulation of behavior. Current projects address four main topics:

  1. Neural mechanisms underlying anxiety - identifying the mechanisms underlying regulation of acute and chronic anxiety states, with a focus on interactions between corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), CRF-related neuropeptides, and serotonergic systems, physiology, and behavior.

  2. Effects of peripheral immune activation on serotonergic systems, physiology, and emotional behavior - characterizing the effects of peripheral immune activation on serotonergic systems, physiology, and behavior.

  3. Effects of thermal signals on serotonergic systems, physiology, and emotional behavior - characterizing the effects of afferent thermal signaling (warm temperature) on serotonergic systems, physiology, and behavior.

  4. Rapid effects of glucocorticoid hormones - characterizing the role of corticosterone-sensitive monoamine transporters (organic cation transporters) in regulation of serotonergic systems, physiology, and behavior.

Personnel

  • Director: Christopher A. Lowry, Ph.D.

  • Post-doctoral Fellows: Matthew Hale, Ph.D., Jodi Lukkes, Ph.D.

  • Graduate Students: Nina Donner, M.S., Patrick Hennessey, B.A., Kyle Kelly, B.A., Evan Paul, B.A., Honors.

  • Undergraduate Students: Kelsey Anbuhl, Kathleen Dady, Trevor Doyle, Glenn Engelman, Peter Hibl, Michael Long, Christian Montoya, Thanh Nguyen, Derek Sarchet, Philip Siebler, Benjamin Spannuth, Christopher Stamper, Tamara Strickland, McKenzie Valentine, Andrew Wacker, Alex Westerman, Naomi Zelin.

  • High School Student: Jakob Lupa.

  • Collaborators: Tracy Bale, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania; David Bentley, Ph.D., University of New South Wales, Australia; Serge Campeau, Ph.D., University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; Alon Chen, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel; Monika Fleshner, Ph.D., University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; Dr. Anders Hay-Schmidt, Ph.D., The Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Rogelio Hernandez-Pando, Ph.D., Instituto Nacional de Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Mexico; John Isaac, Ph.D., NINDS; Stafford Lightman, MBBChir, MB, BChir, PhD(Cantab), FRCP, FMedSci, University of Bristol, UK; Steve Maier, Ph.D., University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; Jens Mikkelsen, NeuroSearch A/S, Ballerup, Denmark; Miles Orchinik, Ph.D., Arizona State University; Paul Plotsky, Emory University; David Nutt, DM, FRCP, FRCPsych, FMedSci, University of Bristol, UK; Don Rainnie, Ph.D., Emory University; Kenneth Renner, Ph.D., University of South Dakota; Graham A.W. Rook, Ph.D., University College London, UK; Anantha Shekhar, M.D., Ph.D., Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis; Cliff Summers, Ph.D., University of South Dakota.

Back row (left to right): Glenn Engelman, Jakob Lupa, Derek Sarchet, Trevor Doyle, Christopher Stamper, Matthew Hale, Alex Westerman, Peter Hibl, Evan Paul, Patrick Hennessey, Christopher Lowry
Front row: Thanh Nguyen, Christian Montoya, Philip Siebler, McKenzie Valentine, Nina Donner, Kyle Kelly, Benjamin Spannuth, Kelsey Anbuhl, Naomi Zelin, Jodi Lukkes, Kathleen Dady
Not present: Michael Long, Tamara Strickland, Andrew Wacker

Current Research Projects

  • Neural systems underlying acute and chronic anxiety states. To characterize the neural systems underlying acute anxiety-like physiological and behavioral responses to anxiogenic drugs, anxiety-related neuropeptides, and anxiogenic stimuli.

  • Characterization of corticotropin-releasing factor 1 (CRF1) and CRF2 receptor distribution and function. To characterize the distribution of CRF2 receptors in brain and the physiological and behavioral responses to CRF1 and CRF2 receptor activation.

  • Characterization of long-term consequences of adverse early life experience on physiology and behavior. To characterize the effects of adverse early life experience (maternal separation, adolescent social isolation) on serotonergic systems, physiology, and behavior.

  • Neural mechanisms relaying signals of peripheral immune activation to the central nervous system. To characterize neural mechanisms underlying activation of brainstem serotonergic neurons by peripheral immune activation, and the consequences for physiology and behavior.

  • Neural mechanisms relaying thermal signals to the central nervous system. To characterize neural mechanisms underlying activation of brainstem serotonergic neurons by thermal signals, and the physiological and behavioral consequences.

  • Characterization of organic cation transporters. To characterize the distribution of corticosterone-sensitive organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3) in brain, corticosterone modulation of OCT3 function, and the role for OCT3 in corticosterone-dependent modulation of physiology and behavior.

Opportunities for Undergraduates

  • The requirements for undergraduate students who want a research experience in our Laboratory are:

    • Either have completed or be concurrently enrolled in EBIO 4720 (General Biology 1 and 2), PSYCH 1001 (General Psychology), MCDB 1150 (Introduction to Molecular Biology), or MCDB 111 (Biofundamentals: The Evolutionary, Molecular, and Cellular Basis of Life)
    • Enroll in independent study (IPHY 4860) for 4-8 hours/week for at least one semester.
    • Minimum experience: no prior laboratory research experience required.

  • For more information, contact Prof. Chris Lowry (christopher.lowry@colorado.edu)

Recent Publications

  • Evans AK, Heerkens JLT, Lowry CA. Acoustic stimulation in vivo and corticotropin-releasing factor in vitro increase tryptophan hydroxylase activity in the rat caudal dorsal raphe nucleus. Neuroscience Letters 455(1): 36-41, 2009.

  • Feng N, Telefont M, Kelly K, Orchinik M, Forster GL, Renner KJ, Lowry CA. Local perfusion of corticosterone in the rat medial hypothalamus potentiates D-fenfluramine-induced elevations of extracellular 5-HT concentrations. Hormones and Behavior 56: 149-157, 2009.

  • Gardner KL, Hale MW, Lightman SL, Plotsky PM, Lowry CA. Adverse early life experience and social stress during adulthood interact to increase serotonin transporter mRNA expression. Brain Research 1305: 47-63, 2009.

  • Gardner KL, Hale MW, Oldfield S, Lightman SL, Plotsky PM, Lowry CA. Adverse experience during early life and adulthood interact to elevate tph2 mRNA expression in serotonergic neurons within the dorsal raphe nucleus. Neuroscience 163: 991-1001, 2009.

  • Gasser PJ, Lowry CA, Orchinik M. Rapid corticosteroid actions on behavior: Mechanisms and implications. In: Hormones, Brain and Behavior, 2nd Edition. Pfaff D, Arnold A, Etgen A, Fahrbach S, Rubin R (Eds). Elsevier, Oxford, UK. ISBN: 978-0080887838, 2009

  • Gasser PJ, Orchinik MO, Raju I, Lowry CA. Distribution of organic cation transporter 3, a corticosterone-sensitive monoamine transporter, in the rat brain. Journal of Comparative Neurology 512: 529-555, 2009.

  • Lowry CA, Hale MW, Burke KA, Renner KJ, Moore FL. Fluoxetine potentiates the effects of corticotropin-releasing factor on locomotor activity and serotonergic systems in the roughskin newt, Taricha granulosa. Hormones and Behavior 56: 177-184, 2009.

  • Lowry CA, Hale MW, Plant A, Renner KJ, Windle RJ, Shanks N, Wood SA, Ingram CD, Lightman SL, Summers CH. Fluoxetine inhibits corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-induced behavioural responses in rats. Stress 12(3): 225-239, 2009.

  • Lowry CA, Lightman SL, Nutt DJ. That warm fuzzy feeling: brain serotonergic neurons and the regulation of emotion. Journal of Psychopharmacology 23(4): 392-400, 2009.

  • Lukkes JL, Watt MJ, Lowry CA, Forster GL. The long-term consequences of early-life social isolation on anxiety-related neural circuits and behavior in rodents. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 3:18, 2009. doi:10.3389/neuro.08.018.2009.

  • Nutt DJ, Lowry CA. How can we use current knowledge to improve antidepressant treatments? In: Understanding depression: A translational approach, Pariante CM, Ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN: 978-0199533077, 2009

  • Orchinik M, Gasser P, Lowry CA. Acute corticosteroid actions in the brain: cellular mechanisms and behavioral consequences. In: Molecular Mechanisms of Hormone Actions on Behavior. Pfaff D, Etgen A (Eds), Academic Press, San Diego, CA. ISBN: 978-0123749390, 2009.

  • Rook GAW, Lowry CA. The hygiene hypothesis and affective and anxiety disorders. In: The Hygiene Hypothesis and Darwinian Medicine, Rook GAW (Ed), Vol. 1, Progress in Inflammation Research, Parnham M (Ed). Birkhauser Publishing, Basel, Switzerland. ISBN: 978-3764389024, 2009.
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