Scientific profile

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Research profile

The research interests of the Department of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure are centered on neurodevelopmental models of schizophrenia. Specifically, our investigations are aimed at identifying the neural substrates underlying behavioral deficits typical for schizophrenia and the discovery of novel potential targets for antipsychotic substances. Another important aspect of our research involves environmental factors (early life stress, enriched environment) that influence brain development and its susceptibility to mental disorders such as anxiety, schizophrenia, cognitive deficits and depression.

Research methods

Behavioral: neurodevelopmental models of schizophrenia, experimental models of stress – maternal separation in the postnatal period, fear conditioning paradigm – the acquisition, retention and extinction of memory traces, sensory motor gating paradigm, novel object recognition test, delayed alternation test, social interaction test, food-preference test, latent inhibition test.

Immunohistochemistry and neuroanatomy: brain tissue staining for identification of specific proteins and their colocalization – microscopic techniques based on light microscopy, fluorescence and laser confocal microscopy, stereological techniques. Stereotactic and iontophoretic techniques of retrograde marker delivery. Methods to assess adult brain neurogenesis.

Biochemistry and molecular biology: protein expression: Western blot, ELISA, protein macroarrays; Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription, chromatin precipitation.
Electrophysiology: in vitro measurements of long-term synaptic potentiation and depression.

Achievements

  • Publications
  • Grants

Grant

The role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the pathomechanisms of early-life stressinduced dysfunction of the prefronatal cortex and in the mechanisms of action of fluoxetine in children and adolescents

Agnieszka Chocyk, PhD

Grant

Impact of early-life stress on maturation, permeability of blood brain-barrier and neuroinflammatory processes activation during ontogenetic development

Anna Solarz-Andrzejewska, PhD

Grant

Wpływ wczesnego stresu postnatalnego (separacja od matki) i fluktuacji poziomu kortykosteronu w okresie adolescencji na procesy plastyczności i funkcje kory przedczołowej. Preludium 9, 2015/17/N/NZ4/02800, 2016-2018 – opiekun naukowy

Agnieszka Chocyk, PhD

Grant

"Depresja - mechanizmy - terapia" - zadanie 2.1: „Zmiany plastyczne kory mózgu jako czynnik ryzyka zapadalności na choroby schizoafektywne”. POIG.01.01.02-12-004/09-00, 2010-2014 - kierownik zadania 2.1

Agnieszka Chocyk, PhD

Grant

Wpływ wczesnego stresu (izolacja od matki) na dojrzewanie układu dopaminowego i jego funkcjonowanie w wieku młodzieńczym i dorosłym. Nr N401 154 31/3361, 2006-2009, MNiSW – kierownik

Agnieszka Chocyk, PhD

Grant

Wpływ stresu separacji od matki na formowanie śladów pamięciowych w korze przedczołowej oraz poszukiwanie ich neurochemicznych korelatów. Nr N401 144538, 2010-2013, MNiSW – główny wykonawca

Agnieszka Chocyk, PhD

Molecular and Medical Aspects of Psychedelics

Adam Wojtas, Krystyna Gołembiowska

DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010241

Limbic System Response to Psilocybin and Ketamine Administration in Rats: A Neurochemical and Behavioral Study

Adam Wojtas, Agnieszka Bysiek, Agnieszka Wawrzczak-Bargiela, Marzena Maćkowiak, Krystyna Gołembiowska

DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010100

Hallucinogenic activity, neurotransmitters release, anxiolytic and neurotoxic effects in Rat's brain following repeated administration of novel psychoactive compound 25B-NBOMe

Adam Wojtas, Monika Herian, Marzena Maćkowiak, Anna Solarz, Agnieszka Wawrzczak-Bargiela, Agnieszka Bysiek, Karolina Noworyta, Krystyna Gołembiowska

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109713

Limbic System Response to Psilocybin and Ketamine Administration in Rats: A Neurochemical and Behavioral Study

Adam Wojtas, Agnieszka Bysiek, Agnieszka Wawrzczak-Bargiela, Marzena Maćkowiak, Krystyna Gołembiowska

DOI: 10.20944/preprints202309.1649.v1

Effects of early‐life stress and sex on blood–brain barrier permeability and integrity in juvenile and adult rats

Anna Solarz, Iwona Majcher‐Maślanka, Agnieszka Chocyk

DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22846

Tolerance to neurochemical and behavioral effects of the hallucinogen 25I-NBOMe

Monika Herian, Mateusz Skawski, Adam Wojtas, Małgorzata K. Sobocińska, Karolina Noworyta, Krystyna Gołembiowska

DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05860-5

Neurochemical and Behavioral Effects of a New Hallucinogenic Compound 25B-NBOMe in Rats

Adam Wojtas, Monika Herian, Mateusz Skawski, Małgorzata Sobocińska, Alejandro González-Marín, Karolina Noworyta-Sokołowska, Krystyna Gołembiowska

DOI: 10.1007/s12640-020-00297-8

Contribution of serotonin receptor subtypes to hallucinogenic activity of 25I-NBOMe and to its effect on neurotransmission

Monika Herian, Adam Wojtas, Małgorzata Katarzyna Sobocińska, Mateusz Skawski, Alejandro González-Marín, Krystyna Gołembiowska

DOI: 10.1007/s43440-020-00181-4

See also