Disputas: Albena Tzankova Mihailova

Prøveforelesning

Bedømmelseskomité

Professor Jonas Bergquist, Uppsala universitet, Avd. för Analytisk kemi, Uppsala, Sverige
Dr. Mette Krogh, Divisjonen for rettstoksikologi og rusmiddelforskning ved Nasjonalt Folkehelseinstitutt, Oslo
Professor Walter Lund, Kjemisk institutt, Universitetet i Oslo

Leder av disputas:  Professor Carl Henrik Gørbitz

Veileder:  Tyge Greibrokk, Elsa Lundaness

Sammendrag

Everyone experiences stress at times - adults, teens, and even kids. Stress is a feeling that is created when we react to particular events. The human body responds to stressors by activating the nervous system through chemical compounds. This natural reaction is known as the stress response. Research suggests that a moderate amount of pressure can be positive, making us more alert, helping to keep us motivated, and making us perform better. However, too much pressure, or prolonged pressure, can lead to stress, which can cause illness and physical and emotional problems.

The aim of our study has been by applying stress conditions to experimental animals, to investigate the presence of neuropeptides, chemical neuronal messengers in brain tissues, and how they are affected by stress. Two groups of rats were exposed to different rates of CO₂ influx (high and low), producing an animal hypoxia and resembling different stress responds. Rats of different age were used for exploration of possible influence of age and/or the distressful conditions on the peptide expression

Since the brain is an extremely complicated matrix with thousands compounds, a two dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (2D LC-MS/MS) method has been developed and applied for determination of peptides and neuropeptides present at nanomolar concentrations. In the two brain parts included in the study more than 150 putative neuroactive compounds were detected. Some of the observed compounds are peptides with well-known neuronal activity, while other peptides found require additional studies to reveal their biological function. Both in the rhinencephalon and hypothalamus the concentration of several peptides was found to depend on the stress conditions applied.

Kontaktperson

For mer informasjon, kontakt Raul Boris Farina Briceno.