Department of Environmental and Molecular Health Sciences

Division Environmental and Sociomedical Sciences
Great Department Environmental and Analytical Sciences
Website http://www.pharm.kumamoto-u.ac.jp/labs/eisei/home.htm
Staff
Professor Kazuo Takahama
takahama@gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Associate professor Tetsuya Shirasaki
shirasak@gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Instructor Fumio Soeda
soeda@gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Research theme


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Inhibition by dextromethorphan (DM) of I5-HT irreversibly activated by intracellular GTP γ S. (patch clamp recording)
Our research projects are classified into two major groups: 1) Pharmacological and physiological studies on cough and micturition reflex; 2) Study on brain-disrupting action of endocrine disruptors. To dissolve the above subjects, we take a multidisciplinary approach: electrophysiology, pharmacology, behavioral sciences, neurochemistry and molecular biology. Our recent major findings are as follows:
  1. Non-opioid antitussives inhibited GIRK channels in single neurons.
  2. z-Glycinamide, a prodrug of glycine, facilitated the micturition reflex in rats.
  3. Prenatal DES exposure in mice caused an impairment of passive avoidance responses accompanied by an increased level of active CaM kinase II in the hippocampus.