Rutgers University
Department of Biology
Science Building
315 Penn Street
Camden, NJ 08102-1411

(856) 225 - 6165
FAX: (856) 225 - 6312

jomartin@crab.rutgers.edu

Laboratory Home Page

Sleep

GABAa receptors

Neuroendocrinology

Thyroid hormones

• Receptor binding
• Measurement of electroencephalographic data
• Radiochemical tracers

A goal of our current research is to clarify how thyroid hormones influence the adult mammalian brain. During growth and development, hormones from the thyroid gland enter many cell types (including brain cells) and alter protein synthesis. In adulthood, the cellular metabolic rate is accelerated by thyroid hormones entering cells of many tissues, but not in the brain. However, some of the potentially most debilitating complications of thyroid glandular disease are due to neurological disorders, ranging from anxiety and sleep problems to seizures or coma. Our evidence indicates that thyroid hormones bind to and influence the function of brain GABAA receptors. Current experiments are determining the effects of thyroid hormones on GABAA receptor binding, the subsequent cellular response, and the resultant electroencephalogram. Other studies examine the in vitro effects of thyroid hormones on protein phosphorylation. These studies are designed to determine the biological significance of a brain action of thyroid hormones that more closely resembles the action of a neurotransmitter than it does the typical action of thyroid hormones in other tissues.

For complete list: PubMed

Martin, J.V., Williams, D.B., Fitzgerald, R.M., Im, H.K., and VonVoigtlander, P.F. (1996)
Thyroid hormonal modulation of the binding and activity of the GABAA receptor complex of brain.
Neuroscience, 73, 705-713.

Martin, J.V., Iyer, I., McIlroy, P.J., and Iba, M.M. (2004) Influence of oxygenated fuel additives and their metabolites on gamma-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) receptor function in rat brain synaptoneurosomes.Toxicology Letters,147/3, 209-217.

Martin, J.V., Nolan, B., Wagner, G.C. and Fisher, H.C. (2004) Effects of dietary caffeine and alcohol on liver carbohydrate and fat metabolism in rats. Medical Science Monitor, 10(12): BR455-461.

Martin, J.V., Padron, J.M., Newman, M.A., Chapell, R., Leidenheimer, N.J., and Burke, L. (2004) Inhibition of the activity of the native ?-aminobutyric acidA receptor by metabolites of thyroid hormones: Correlations with molecular modeling studies. Brain Res., 1004/1-2, 98-107.