Research
Interests
Our
research mainly focusses on age-related changes in the activity of brain
monoamines in discrete nuclei of the hypothalamus, specifically the arcuate
nucleus and the medial preoptic area which are involved in the regulation
of Luteinizing hormone (LH). We and others have provided evidence that
changes in brain monoamines that occurs during aging is responsible for
the altered secretory pattern of LH during middle age and for the loss
of cyclicity in old age. Currently, we are focussing on the roles of ovarian
steroids and GABA in mediating some of the age-related changes in hypothalamic
monoamines. Another area of interest is the age-related loss of tuberoinfundibular
dopaminergic (TIDA) neuron function. We are currently examining the role
of estrogen in promoting loss of TIDA neuronal function through a variety
of interesting mechanisms. We use Sprague-Dawley rats in our studies.
We use state-of-the-art techniques such as push-pull perfusion, HPLC-EC,
Palkovits’ microdissection of the brain, PCR, SDS-PAGE with western
blotting, RIAs etc.
Please
feel free to contact me if you have any questions about my research.
Selected
Publications
Search all publications in the NCBI Journal Database
Clark KA, MohanKumar SM, Kasturi BS, MohanKumar PS. Effects of central and systemic administration of leptin on neurotransmitter concentrations in specific areas of the hypothalamus. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2006 Feb;290(2):R306-12. Epub 2005 Oct 6.
MohanKumar SM, MohanKumar PS. Aging alters norepinephrine release in the medial preoptic area in response to steroid priming in ovariectomized rats. Brain Res. 2004 Oct 8;1023(1):24-30.
Barber M, Kasturi BS, Austin ME, Patel KP, MohanKumar SM, MohanKumar PS. Diabetes-induced neuroendocrine changes in rats: role of brain monoamines, insulin and leptin. Brain Res. 2003 Feb 21;964(1):128-35.
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Puliyur
S. MohanKumar 