• DEPRESSION
  • effects of antidepressants on expression of various alpha₁-adrenoceptor subtypes;
  • changes in the immune system induced by antidepressant treatments;
  • G protein expression in animal models of depression.
• ADDICTION
  • molecular correlates of drug dependence;
  • neurochemical and molecular mechanisms of action of potential addictive and antiaddictive drugs;
  • G protein expression in animal models of addiction.

Behavioural:
- computerized locomotor activity test;
- tests for antidepressant activity (forced swim test tail suspension test);
- instrumental treatments (electroconvulsive shock, transcranial magnetic stimulation);
- animal models of drug tolerance and dependence (behavioral sensitization);
- transgenic mice colony breeding.

Biochemical:
- assay of generation of second messengers in brain slices (cyclic AMP and inositol phosphates);
- radioligand binding assay, receptor autoradiography, computer image analysis, assessment of mRNA expression (Real-TIme PCR, Northern blot);
- assessment of protein expression (Western blot);
- immunohistochemistry;
- flow cytometry, thymocyte and splenocyte culturing and proliferation assay, estimation of the metabolic activity of macrophages.

The Department cooperates with:

the CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Rome (Italy)

- behavioral and neurobiological correlates of chronic pathologies in animal models;

the Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville (USA)

- studies on the molecular mechanism of action of antidepressant drugs;

the Laboratory of Molecular Biology of the Cell I, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany)

- studies on the molecular mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases.

PhD Students:

Engineers, Technicians, and Other Employees: