Intranet Čeština

Functional Morphology

Functional Morphology Recording of electrophysiological activity from dorsal horn neurons in acute spinal cord slices with patch-clamp technique.

The main research interest of our department is to study mechanisms of pain and to explore new possibilities of pain treatment, especially in chronic states. Our experimental work is concentrated on the modulation of nociceptive information at the spinal cord level that is the relay center between the periphery and the higher brain areas. Our goal is to study these modulatory mechanisms in order to improve therapy for pain conditions, such as allodynia, hyperalgesia, neuropathic and cancer related pain. Our focus is on the role of TRPV1 receptors and inflammatory cytokines. In our research we use mainly electrophysiological, immunohistochemical and behavioral methods. Another project is directed towards the role of thyroid hormones (THs) and omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) in the physiology of cardiac and skeletal muscles. Models of hyper- and hypothyroid status are used to analyze potential influence of n-3 PUFA on the induced pathological changes. 

Projects

Chemotherapy induced neuropathic pain

Scientists from the Department of Functional Morphology in collaboration with colleagues from The University of Texas showed that paclitaxel induced pain is mediated by TRPV1 and TLR4 receptors. More

Achievements

Publications

Soukup, Tomáš - Smerdu, V. Effect of altered innervation and thyroid hormones on myosin heavy chain expression and fiber type transitions: a mini-review . Histochemistry and Cell Biology. 2015, Vol. 143, 2, p. 123-130 . IF = 2.927 [ASEP] [ doi ]
Soukup, Tomáš - Diallo, Michael . Proportions of myosin heavy chain mRNAs, protein isoforms and fiber types in the slow and fast skeletal muscles are maintained after alterations of thyroid status in rats . Physiological Research. 2015, Vol. 64, 1, p. 111-118 . IF = 1.293 [ASEP]
Li, Y. - Adámek, Pavel - Zhang, H. - Tatsui, C. E. - Rhines, L. D. - Mrózková, Petra - Li, Q. - Kosturakis, A. K. - Cassidy, R. M. - Harrison, D. S. - Cata, J. P. - Sapire, K. - Zhang, H. - Kennamer-Chapman, R. M. - Jawad, A. B. - Ghetti, A. - Yan, J. - Paleček, Jiří - Dougherty, P. M. The Cancer Chemotherapeutic Paclitaxel Increases Human and Rodent Sensory Neuron Responses to TRPV1 by Activation of TLR4 . Journal of Neuroscience. 2015, Vol. 35, 39, p. 13487-13500 . IF = 6.344 [ASEP] [ doi ]
Uchytilová, Eva - Špicarová, Diana - Paleček, Jiří . TRPV1 antagonist attenuates postoperative hypersensitivity by central and peripheral mechanisms . Molecular Pain 2014, roč. 10, 2014, p. 67. ISSN 1744-8069. IF = 3.654 [ASEP] [ doi ]
Špicarová, Diana - Nerandžič, Vladimír - Paleček, Jiří . Update on the role of spinal cord TRPV1 receptors in pain modulation . Physiological Research 2014, roč. 63, suppl.1, s225-s236. ISSN 0862-8408. IF = 1.293 [ASEP]

Article photogallery

The entire photogallery

Contacts

Institute of Physiology AS CR, v.v.i.
Department of Functional Morphology

Vídeňská 1083
14220 Prague 4
tel. +420 241 062 664
fax. +420 241 062 488
 

palecek@fgu.cas.cz

People

Jiří Paleček, MD, PhD
head of the department
RNDr. Tomáš Soukup, CSc.
senior scientist
Mgr. Diana Špicarová, Ph.D.
postdoctoral fellow - junior scientist
MS. Michael Diallo, Ph.D.
postdoctoral fellow
RNDr. Gisela Zachařová
scientific technician
Mgr. Vladimír Nerandžič
PhD student
Mgr. Petra Mrózková
PhD student
Mgr. Nataliia Kalynovska
PhD student
Bc. Pavel Adámek
PhD student
Dominika Šulcová
undergraduate student
Kateřina Kramerová
lab technician
Martina Pytlová
lab technician

© 2014 INSTITUTE OF PHYSIOLOGY CAS