RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Changes in the function of the amino acid and dopaminergic pathways that mediate the ethanol addiction process.  This includes changes in self-administration behavior, neurotransmitter release from brain regions, and the number, affinity and functional status of post-synaptic receptors for these transmitters using the rat brain as a model
• Changes in GABAergic transmission in cocaine-sensitized rats. These methods include daily treatment of animals with cocaine floowed by  measurement of changes in GABA release from slices of different brain regions, GABAA receptor function using 36C1 uptake in synaptoneurosomes, and receptor number, affinity and subunit composition using quantitative autoradiographic analysis of radioligand and antibody binding.
• The neurotoxic effects of long-term ethanol exposure on the memory, long-term potentiation and GABAergic function in the hippocampus using the parameters listed above (behavior and neurochemistry) are also of interest.

Behavioral assays

Neurotransmitter release assays

Receptor binding assays

Receptor function assays

• Willing to provide consulting expertise in each of the above research areas

1. Smith A., Watson C.J., Kennedy R.T., Peris J.  “Ethanol-induced Taurine Efflux: Low Dose Effects and High Temporal Resolution.”  In Taurine 5 (Ed. J. Lombardini), in press, 2002.
2. Jung B.J., Peris J.  “Allosteric Modulation of Striatal GABAA Receptor Binding and Function After Cocaine Sensitization.”  Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav., 70:55-63 (2001).
3. Resnick A.C., Homanics G.E., Jung B.J., Peris J.  “Increased Acute Cocaine Sensitivity and Decreased Cocaine Sensitization in GABAA Receptor $3 Subunit Knockout Mice.”  J. Neurochem., 73:1539-1548 (1999).
4. Peris J., Jung B.J., Resnick A., Walker P., Malakhova O., Bokrand Y., Wielbo D.  “Antisense Inhibition of Striatal GABAA Receptor Proteins Decreases GABA-stimulated Chloride Uptake and Increases Cocaine Sensitivity in Rats.”  Mol. Brain Res., 57:310-320 (1998).
5. Peris J., Eppler B., Hu M., Walker D.W., Hunter B., Mason K.,  Anderson K.J. “The Effects of Chronic Ethanol Exposure on GABA Receptors  and GABAB Modulation of 3H?GABA Release in the Hippocampus.”  Alcohol: Clin. Exp. Res., 21:1047-1052 (1997).