Welcome to the Minority Health and Health Disparities International Research Training (MHIRT) Program at CBU.

Brazil - Locations: Belem, Curitiba, Florianopolis, and Sao Paulo.

Florianopolis:  Two laboratories, 1 student per laboratory

 SITE #1

Project description: Basic research on anxiety and memory acquisition.  Use of neuropharmacology to investigate anxiety and memory. 

 2008 Project Title: The Efficacy of Prazosin in Contextual Fear Conditioning in Rats

 Mentor: Dr. Antonio Pauda Carobrez, Department of Pharmacology, University of Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina Island  

 Recent mentor publications:

• Martins, M.; Carobrez, A.; Tonussi, C. 2008. Activation of dorsal periaqueductal gray by glycine produces long lasting hyponociception in rats without overt defensive behaviors Life Sciences., v.83, 118-121.

• Stern, C.; Aparecida J.; Carobrez, A. P.; Bertoglio, L. J. 2008. Aversive learning as a mechanism for lack of repeated anxiolytic-like effect in the elevated plus maze. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior., v.90, 545-550.

• Hackl, L.; Pereira N.; Carobrez, A. P.. 2007. Distinct ventral and dorsal hippocampus AP5 anxiolytic effects revealed in the elevated plus-maze task in rats. Neurobiology of Learning and  Memory, v.88, 177-185.

SITE #2

Project description: Aquatic environmental science: Expression of heat shock proteins in aquatic invertebrates as an environmental pollution indicator.  Using heat shock protein expression in either bivalves or shrimp as a bioindicator of environmental pollution.  Techniques used, Western blots of tissue obtained from shrimp or bivalues that have been exposed to heavy metals. 

2008 Project Title: Comparing the Amplification of Housekeeping Genes in Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannmei) DNA of previously extracted samples with their corresponding samples stored in FTA® Cards

Mentor: Dr. Maria Risoletta Marques, Department of Biochemistry, University of Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina Island  

 Recent mentor publications:

• Franco, J. L.; Posser, T.; Trevisan, R.; Carvalho, P. S. M.; Leal, R. B. A.; Marques, M. R. F.; Bainy, A. C. D.; Dafre, A. L. Biochemical alterations in juvenile carp (Cyprinus carpio) exposed to Zinc: Glutathione Reductase as a Target. Marine Environmental Research, v. 66, p. 10.1016/j.maren, 2008.

• Medeiros, I. D.; Seibert, M. N;; Toledo-Silva, G.; Marques, M. R. F.; Bainy, A. C. D. Differential gene expression in oyster exposed to sewage. Marine Environmental Research, v. 66, p. 10.1016/j.maren, 2008.

• Luchmann, K.H.; Freire, A.S.; Ferreira, N.C.; Daura-Jorge, F.G.; Marques, M. R. F. Spatial and temporal variations in abundance and biomass of penaeid shrimps in the subtropical Conceição Lagoon, southern Brazil. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, v. 88, p. 293-299, 2008.

SITE #3

Project description: The elucidation of the role of the recently reported peripheral venous serotonergic system in the control of reactivity in veins. By using the classical pharmacological approach of isolated organ bath for tension recordings, associated with biochemical and molecular techniques, the research will test the hypothesis that the ability of peripheral veins to synthesize, uptake and metabolize serotonin controls venous reactivity locally. The investigation of the putative impact of the venous serotonergic system in pathological states such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, sepsis, and erectile dysfunction is also part of the present goal in order to offer clues toward explaining abnormal function in these diseases

2011 Project: Understanding the physiology and pharmacology of vascular smooth muscle, with particular emphasis in the venous system

Mentor: Dr. Aurea Elizabeth Linder, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

 Recent mentor publications: