Mouse Neurosurgery, ELISA and Cerebrospinal Fluid Extraction for Cortisone and Dynorphin-B.”

Student Engagement

The target students for this proposal are Pre-Med, Pre-Physician Assistant, Health Sciences, Psychology or Biology majors preparing for medical or biologically related career paths.  All aspects of this proposal are richly educational, and the hands-on methods will significantly enhance their confidence and experience in CITI ONLINE ANIMAL RESEARCH TRAINING and NEU ROSCIENCE LABORATORY METHODS such as ANIMAL HANDLING, ANESTHESIA, STEREOTAXIC BRAIN ELECTROPHSYIOLOGY, INFERENTIAL STATISTICS and SCIENTIFIC POSTER PREPARATION/DEFENSE.  An animal use protocol has already been created and approved for the project under the guidance of the PI and Co-PI mentors (IACUC protocols 21176-HAM-AS and 21167-SAH-AS).  A poster presentation on this 2022 phase of the study and the outcomes will a l so be academically reward i ng – covering topics such as the research question, the hypothesis, the background and significance, data collection methods, data analysis, interpretation of results and creation of an abstract and poster. Faculty mentors will train the students on the necessary procedures and skills and will also assist the students on the construction of the abstract and poster and encourage their contribution to the manuscript in progress.

 

Desired Outcomes

The predicted outcome will be manuscript-building evidence that stimulation of the locus coeruleus will indirectly create a commensurate rise in cortisone levels in the blood to match previous findings that corticosterone was increased in stimulated mice.  It is predicted that stimulation of the locus coeruleus will also create a commensurate rise in dynorphin B in cerebrospinal fluid.  Such biomarker evidence would strengthen our major research agenda, i n which we eventually plan to stimulate the brainstem and measure the release of dynorphins or other pro-inflammatory factors directly in our true target tissue (which i s the cochlea of the inner ear).  We are also in the process of putting together an extensive review of the stress system and will use the results of this proposal to report on this novel idea of stimulating the stress system using the locus coeruleus.