Departments and Laboratories: A fragment of the Royal Castle courtyard (Cracow) Panorama of the Wawel Hill (Cracow) Photos: M. Lenczowski

Department of Pharmacology | Scope of Research | Methods | Cooperation | Research Staff | Head: Prof. Krzysztof Wędzony Phone: (+48 12) 66 23 296 E-mail: wedzony@if-pan.krakow.pl Laboratory of Behavioral Pharmacology Head: Assoc. Prof. Mariusz Papp Phone: (+48 12) 66 23 352 E-mail: nfpapp@cyf-kr.edu.pl Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology Head: Prof. Marta Dziedzicka-Wasylewska Phone: (+48 12) 66 23 372 E-mail: wasyl@if-pan.krakow.pl Laboratory of Brain Pharmacology and Biostructure Head: Prof. Krzysztof Wędzony Phone: (+48 12) 66 23 253 E-mail: wedzony@if-pan.krakow.pl Laboratory of Drug Addiction Pharmacology Head: Assoc. Prof. Małgorzata Filip Phone: (+48 12) 66 23 293 E-mail: filip@if-pan.krakow.pl Scope of Research: psychopharmacology and psychobiology of depression, psychosis, anxiety and addiction; mechanism of action of antidepressant drugs administered repeatedly, in particular their effect on neurotransmitter systems and BDNF and their molecular mechanism; studies designed to identify novel, potential antidepressant drugs with better efficacy and a faster onset of action; excitatory amino acids, the dopaminergic system and antipsychotic and antiparkinsonian drugs; effects of antipsychotic drugs in neurodevelopmental animal models of schizophrenia; the serotonin system and anxiolytic activity; antianxiety activity of dopaminergic D3 receptor ligands; impact of various additive substances on the proliferation of neurons in adult hippocampus, behavioral symptoms related to the development of drug addiction; the role of serotonergic and GABA-ergic systems in the behavioral effects of psychostimulants; the impact of environmental and pharmacological agents on brain development. Back to Top Methods Behavioural: general: locomotor activity, exploratory activity, rota-rod, climbing behavior, aggressive behavior, conditioned avoidance reflex; animal models of depression: forced swim test, chronic mild stress, olfactory bulbectomy; animal models of psychosis: latent inhibition, delayed alternation task, sensorimotor gating in rats (measured as prepulse-induced inhibition of acoustic startle response), social interactions; animal models of anxiety: elevated plus-maze, open field, Vogel's test; animal models for studying the brain reward system: conditioned place preference and aversion, behavioral sensitization, self-administration, drug discrimination; electrically and chemically induced convulsions. Biochemical: the release od dopamine, glutamate, aspartate and adenosine measured by a brain microdialysis; tissue concentrations of neurotransmitters (noradrenaline, dopamine, serotonin) and their metabolites, glutamate and aspartate (HPLC); an assay of second messengers (cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP); in situ hybridization and Northern blot analysis of mRNA coding for tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine (D1, D2 and D3), and serotonin (5HT1A and 5HT2) receptors; radioligand receptor binding techniques; receptor autoradiography; the electrophoresis of proteins and Western blot analyses; molecular cloning and PCR; DNA macroarrays. Immunocytohistochemical: the immunocytochemistry of receptors, enzymes, fast early genes, and heat shock proteins; fluorescent microscopy; retrograde tracers; image analysis. Others: stereotaxic implantation of cannula in brain structures (intracerebral injections); hind limb flexor reflex of the spinal rat; cell cultures, including transfection with neurotransmitter receptor genes. Back to Top International Cooperation The Department cooperates with: the Institute of Pharmacology, the University of Bonn (Germany) - studies on the antidepressant drug activity in transgenic mice; the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston (USA) - examination of the role of 5-HT receptors in the behavioral effects of cocaine. Back to Top Research Staff: Name E-mail Phone (+4812) Dr Agnieszka Chocyk chocyk@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 241 Anna Dziubina, M.Sc. dziubina@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 211 Dr Katarzyna Fijał fijal@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 241 Dr Małgorzata Frankowska frankow@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 214 Assoc. Prof. Krystyna Gołembiowska nfgolemb@cyf-kr.edu.pl 66 23 211 Agata Faron-Górecka, M.Sc. gorecka@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 318 Maciej Kuśmider, M.D. kusmider@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 318 Dr Marzena Maćkowiak mackow@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 241 Assoc. Prof. Zofia Rogóż rogoz@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 279 Assoc. Prof. Grażyna Skuza skuza@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 279 Joanna Solich, M.Sc. solich@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 318 Dr Magdalena Zaniewska zaniew@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 293 PhD Students: Name E-mail Phone (+4812) Przemysław Adamczyk adamczyk@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 214 Rafał Guzik, M.Sc. guzik@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 303 Joanna Kogut, M.Sc. kogut@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 214 Karolina Wydra, M.Sc. wydra@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 345 66 23 214 Engineers, Technicians and Other Employees: Name E-mail Phone (+4812) Dorota Dudys, M.Sc. dudys@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 303 Piotr Gruca, M.Sc. gruca@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 330 Magdalena Kowalska magdak@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 211 Magdalena Łasoń, M.Sc. mlason@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 357 Paulina Pałach, M.Sc. palach@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 204 Teresa Czepiec --- 66 23 222 Monika Niemczyk --- 66 23 357 Ewa Nowak nowake@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 345 66 23 214 Irena Olszewska --- 66 23 222 Teresa Piwowarczyk --- 66 23 343 Agata Suder suder@if-pan.krakow.pl 66 23 214 Beata Zemła --- 66 23 278

Last updated: Cracow, December, 2009 by Wojciech Zajaczkowski