Hibernation
presents a natural model of extreme physiology. The 13-lined ground
squirrel (Spermophilus
tridecemlineatus, a “local” species) displays
seasonal neuroprotection of cardiorespiratory circuits in the
brain. During torpor, these animals maintain a body temperature
at or slightly above freezing and reduce their heart rates and
respiratory rhythms by 99%. The major focus of this project was
to understand the neuroprotective changes that accompany the hibernation
phenotype. Departmental colleagues, Drs.
Hannah Carey and Steve
Johnson collaborated with us on this project.
Publications
Related to This Topic:
Hengen,
K.B., Johnson, S.M., Carey, H.V. and M. Behan.
2007. Neural control of cardiorespiratory function in ground
squirrels during hibernation. FASEB J. 21:965.15.
Hengen,
K.B., Johnson, S.M., Carey, H.V. and M. Behan.
Functional and molecular partitioning of the brain provides neuroprotection
to cardiorespiratory nuclei in ground squirrels during hibernation.
FASEB J. 2008 22:757.2
Hengen,
K.B., Johnson, S.M., Carey, H.V., and M. Behan 2008. Seasonally
expressed remodeling of GABAA receptors in the hibernating brain
confers viability in the face of anesthetic overdose. Soc. Neurosci.
Abstr. 531.22.
Hengen,
K.B., Johnson, S.M., Carey, H.V., Behan, M. 2009. Seasonally altered
GABAA receptors in medullary cardiorespiratory nuclei make neurons
unresponsive to high doses of pentobarbital in hibernating, but
not summer active, ground squirrels. FASEB J.
Hengen,
K.B., Gomez, T, Strang K, Johnson, S.M., Behan, M. 2011. Neurons
in brainstem respiratory nuclei are insensitive to depression by
ethanol and pentobarbital following exression of GABAA epsilon and
delta subunits. A.J. Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative
Physiology. 300:272-283.
