Delta Opioid Receptor Dependent Neuroprotection

Ischemia during the time of birth is the leading cause of neurological disorders in children. Delta opioid receptor (DOR) activation appears to be a highly conserved (observed in hypoxia-resistant turtles and hibernating ground squirrels) mechanism that protects neurons and other tissues during oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Using neonatal rat brainstem-spinal cord preparations, our major findings are that DOR activation prior to, during, and after onset of spinal OGD protects spinal motoneurons and prolongs spontaneous respiratory motor output.

Current experiments are testing whether DOR dependent neuroprotection occurs in other parts of the brain and whether the magnitude of the neuroprotection increases with development.

Collaborators on this project:

The Mary Behan Lab

The Hannah Carey Lab