The Laboratory of Basic and Behavioral Neuroendocrinology is run by the Dr. Luís Carlos Reis (Full Professor) and Dr. André de Souza Mecawi (Associate Professor) with the main aim to study the neuroendocrine control of behavioral and physiological responses due to challenges in extracellular body fluid osmolality and volume. In this context, on the past years, we have spent more attention to the Serotoninergic, Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone, Sexual Steroids and Neurohypophyseal Systems and its effects on behavioral, hydromineral and cardiovascular responses. The main feature of our research group is the integration of molecular, physiologic, behavioral and pharmacological methods and tools, in order to answer complex questions related to mammalian physiology and physiopatology. The main research lines that we are developed at the moment are: 1) Neuroendocrine and behavioral control of hydromineral and cardiovascular balance; 2) Perinatal programming of thirst and sodium appetite; and 3) Study of cognitive changes related to disturbances in body water and sodium balance.

 

Dr. André de Souza Mecawi is Graduated in Veterinary Medicine from the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ, 2008), Master and Ph.D. in Physiology from University of São Paulo (USP, 2012) and Postdoctoral trainee at University of Bristol (UK, 2014).

 

Dr. Luís Carlos Reis is Graduated in Veterinary Medicine from the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ, 1976), Master in Physiology from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP, 1983), Ph.D. in Physiology from University of São Paulo (USP, 1993) and Postdoctoral trainee at the Institute of Medical Investigation Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra – INIMEC-CONICET (Cordoba, Argentina).

 

LAB PEOPLE

Dr. Sabrina Graziani Veloso Dutra – Post-Doctorate

Dr. Lilia Urzedo Rodrigues – Post-Doctorate

Dr. Claudio da Silva Almeida – Post-Doctorate

Dr. Luciana Barg Kuntze – Post-Doctorate

Bruno Paes Leme Ferreira – Doctorate Student

Raoni Santos da Silva – Doctorate Student

Lívia da Rocha Natalino Monteiro – Doctorate Student

Verônica Cristina Lopes Menezes – Doctorate Student

Iracema Gomes de Araújo – Doctorate Student

Renata Novais Carvalho – Doctorate Student

Viviane Felintro de Souza – Master Student

Karolyne Silva Magalhães – Undergraduate Student

Evandro Valentim de Lima – Undergraduate Student

Quézia Sanches Rodrigues Carbalan – Undergraduate Student

Welington Villela de Paula – Undergraduate Student

 

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS

 

Dr. Alastair Ferguson – Queen’s University (Canada)

Dr. Andrea Godino – Institute Mercedes and Martín Ferreyra (Argentine)

Dr. Charlie Hindmarch – Queen’s University (Canada)

Dr. David Murphy – University of Bristol (England)

Dr. Hoe See Ziau – University of Malaya (Malaysia)

Dr. Laura Vivas – Institute Mercedes and Martín Ferreyra (Argentine)

Dr. Limei Zhang – National Autonomous Unviersity of Mexico (Mexico)

 

LATEST PUBLICATIONS

Oestradiol effects on neuroendocrine responses induced by water deprivation in rats. Vilhena-Franco T, Mecawi AS, Elias LL, Antunes-Rodrigues J. J Endocrinol. 2016 Sep 9. pii: JOE-16-0311.

 

Respiratory Network Enhances the Sympathoinhibitory Component of Baroreflex of Rats Submitted to Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia. Moraes DJ, Bonagamba LG, da Silva MP, Mecawi AS, Antunes-Rodrigues J, Machado BH. Hypertension. 2016 Oct;68(4):1021-30. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.116.07731.

 

Estradiol and angiotensin II crosstalk in hydromineral balance: Role of the ERK1/2 and JNK signaling pathways. Almeida-Pereira G, Coletti R, Mecawi AS, Reis LC, Elias LL, Antunes-Rodrigues J. Neuroscience. 2016 May 13;322:525-38. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.02.067.

 

Rasd1, a small G protein with a big role in the hypothalamic response to neuronal activation. Greenwood MP, Greenwood M, Mecawi AS, Antunes-Rodrigues J, Paton JF, Murphy D. Mol Brain. 2016 Jan 7;9:1. doi: 10.1186/s13041-015-0182-2.

 

Behavioral profile assessment in offspring of Swiss mice treated during pregnancy and lactation with caffeine. Laureano-Melo R, da Silveira AL, de Azevedo Cruz Seara F, da Conceição RR, da Silva-Almeida C, Marinho BG, da Rocha FF, Reis LC, Côrtes Wda S. Metab Brain Dis. 2016 Oct;31(5):1071-80. doi: 10.1007/s11011-016-9847-5.

 

Transcription factor CREB3L1 mediates cAMP and glucocorticoid regulation of arginine vasopressin gene transcription in the rat hypothalamus. Greenwood M, Greenwood MP, Mecawi AS, Loh SY, Rodrigues JA, Paton JF, Murphy D. Mol Brain. 2015 Oct 26;8(1):68. doi: 10.1186/s13041-015-0159-1.

 

Neuroendocrine Regulation of Hydromineral Homeostasis. Mecawi AS, Ruginsk SG, Elias LL, Varanda WA, Antunes-Rodrigues J. Compr Physiol. 2015 Jul 1;5(3):1465-516. doi: 10.1002/cphy.c140031. Review.

 

Angiotensin type 1 receptor mediates chronic ethanol consumption-induced hypertension and vascular oxidative stress. Passaglia P, Ceron CS, Mecawi AS, Antunes-Rodrigues J, Coelho EB, Tirapelli CR. Vascul Pharmacol. 2015 Nov;74:49-59. doi: 10.1016/j.vph.2015.04.002.

 

Osmoregulation requires brain expression of the renal Na-K-2Cl cotransporter NKCC2. Konopacka A, Qiu J, Yao ST, Greenwood MP, Greenwood M, Lancaster T, Inoue W, Mecawi AS, Vechiato FM, de Lima JB, Coletti R, Hoe SZ, Martin A, Lee J, Joseph M, Hindmarch C, Paton J, Antunes-Rodrigues J, Bains J, Murphy D. J Neurosci. 2015 Apr 1;35(13):5144-55. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4121-14.2015.

 

Sodium selenite supplementation during pregnancy and lactation promotes anxiolysis and improves mnemonic performance in wistar rats’ offspring. Laureano-Melo R, Império GE, da Silva-Almeida C, Kluck GE, Cruz Seara Fde A, da Rocha FF, da Silveira AL, Reis LC, Ortiga-Carvalho TM, da Silva Côrtes W. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2015 Nov;138:123-32. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.09.007.

 

Gaseous modulators in the control of the hypothalamic neurohypophyseal system. Ruginsk SG, Mecawi AS, da Silva MP, Reis WL, Coletti R, de Lima JB, Elias LL, Antunes-Rodrigues J. Physiology (Bethesda). 2015 Mar;30(2):127-38. doi: 10.1152/physiol.00040.2014. Review.

 

Acute restraint stress induces endothelial dysfunction: role of vasoconstrictor prostanoids and oxidative stress. Carda AP, Marchi KC, Rizzi E, Mecawi AS, Antunes-Rodrigues J, Padovan CM, Tirapelli CR. Stress. 2015;18(2):233-43. doi: 10.3109/10253890.2015.1014790.

 

The role of estradiol in adrenal insufficiency and its interaction with corticosterone on hydromineral balance. Almeida-Pereira G, Rorato R, Reis LC, Elias LL, Antunes-Rodrigues J. Horm Behav. 2013 Nov;64(5):847-55.

 

Administration of an anabolic steroid during the adolescent phase changes the behavior, cardiac autonomic balance and fluid intake in male adult rats. Olivares EL, Silveira AL, Fonseca FV, Silva-Almeida C, Côrtes RS, Pereira-Junior PP, Nascimento JH, Reis LC. Physiol Behav. 2014 Mar 14;126:15-24. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.12.006.

 

A comparison of physiological and transcriptome responses to water deprivation and salt loading in the rat supraoptic nucleus. Greenwood MP, Mecawi AS, Hoe SZ, Mustafa MR, Johnson KR, Al-Mahmoud GA, Elias LL, Paton JF, Antunes-Rodrigues J, Gainer H, Murphy D, Hindmarch CC. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2015 Apr 1;308(7):R559-68. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00444.2014.

 

Ethanol withdrawal increases oxidative stress and reduces nitric oxide bioavailability in the vasculature of rats. Gonzaga NA, Mecawi AS, Antunes-Rodrigues J, De Martinis BS, Padovan CM, Tirapelli CR. Alcohol. 2015 Feb;49(1):47-56. doi: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2014.12.001.

 

Developmental programing of thirst and sodium appetite. Mecawi AS, Macchione AF, Nuñez P, Perillan C, Reis LC, Vivas L, Arguelles J. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015 Apr;51:1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.12.012. Review.

 

In vitro differentiation between oxytocin- and vasopressin-secreting magnocellular neurons requires more than one experimental criterion. da Silva MP, Merino RM, Mecawi AS, Moraes DJ, Varanda WA. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2015 Jan 15;400:102-11. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2014.11.004.

 

Acute ethanol intake induces mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, platelet-derived growth factor receptor phosphorylation, and oxidative stress in resistance arteries. Gonzaga NA, Callera GE, Yogi A, Mecawi AS, Antunes-Rodrigues J, Queiroz RH, Touyz RM, Tirapelli CR. J Physiol Biochem. 2014 Jun;70(2):509-23. doi: 10.1007/s13105-014-0331-6.

 

Sexual dimorphism in autonomic changes and in the renin-angiotensin system in the hearts of mice subjected to thyroid hormone-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Silveira AL, de Souza Miranda MF, Mecawi AS, Melo RL, Marassi MP, Matos da Silva AC, Antunes-Rodrigues J, Olivares EL. Exp Physiol. 2014 Jun;99(6):868-80. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.2013.076976.

 

Electrophysiological properties of rostral ventrolateral medulla presympathetic neurons modulated by the respiratory network in rats. Moraes DJ, da Silva MP, Bonagamba LG, Mecawi AS, Zoccal DB, Antunes-Rodrigues J, Varanda WA, Machado BH. J Neurosci. 2013 Dec 4;33(49):19223-37. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3041-13.2013.

 

Effects of acute and subchronic AT1 receptor blockade on cardiovascular, hydromineral and neuroendocrine responses in female rats. Araujo IG, Elias LL, Antunes-Rodrigues J, Reis LC, Mecawi AS. Physiol Behav. 2013 Oct 2;122:104-12. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.08.018.

 

CONTACTS

 

If you are interested on our research, please contact us by email:

André de Souza Mecawi – mecawi.as@gmail.com

and Luís Carlos Reis  – reis.lc@gmail.com.

 

LAB ADDRESS

 

Laboratory of Basic and Behavioral Neuroendocrinology

Department of Physiological Sciences

Institute of Biological and Health Sciences
Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro
BR465, Km7, Zip Code: 23897-970, Seropedica, RJ, Brazil
Phone/FAX: +55 21 26823222