Warmińsko-Mazurski Portal Weterynaryjny

Research

The Department of Animal Anatomy conducts research on the autonomic innervation of internal organs, and the morphology and neurochemical organization of some structures of the central nervous system in domestic animals.

Main research directions are:

• localization of autonomic and sensory neurons supplying internal organs, mainly female and male genital  and digestive system organs in the pig. These studies are conducted  with the retrograde neuronal labeling using markers such as Fast blue or DiI

• determining the chemical coding of neurons, i.e. determining what biologically active substances,enzymes for the synthesis of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides,contain these nerve cells. The research uses histo- and immunohistochemical, confocal microscopy and molecular biology methods

• neuronal plasticity - research in this area concerns changes in the number and chemical coding of neurons that take place under the influence of physiological and pathological stimuli occurring in the structures innervated by them. It has been shown, for example, that the number and/or chemical coding of nerve fibers supplying the ovary, fallopian tube, uterus and vagina inpigs undergo significant changes during various phases of the sexual cycle, pregnancy and lactation. Significant changes were also found in the chemical coding of intramural neurons of the pig stomach and intestines, which occur in the course of some non-infectious diseases (e.g. gastric ulcers) and infectious diseases (e.g. dysentery or adenomatosis) of the digestive system. Castration has also been shown to cause a dramatic reduction (by approximately 90%) in the number and changes in the chemical coding of anterion pelvic ganglion (APG) neurons and intramural neurons in of the urinary bladdre trigone in the male pig. The results obtained suggest that the neurons die due to apoptosis triggered by androgen deprivation.

• identification of neuronal neurotransmitterand peptidergic systems in the hypothalamus, medulla oblongata and spinal cord of pigs, and analysis of mutual relations between them. Research is conducted using histo- and immunohistochemical methods, molecular biology methods, retrograde neuronal labeling and confocal microscopy.

ZebrafishTeam

ZebrafishTeam is an academic research team consisting of researchers from Department of Animal Anatomy and Department of Pathophysiology, Forensic Veterinary and Administration using zebrafish as a powerful  animal model. Our scientific goals are achieved with the use of various techniques applied in our laboratory, such as molecular biology, CRISPR cas9, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, behavioral tests as well as early life stages toxicological tests. Main research directions are listed below:

• Study of the function of galanin in physiological and pathological conditions using zebrafish as a model organism.
• Zebrafish xenograft model with cancer lines derived from domestic animals. Research on substances of plant origin in terms of anti-cancer properties.
• Exploring the potential of natural extracts for pharmaceutical applications, with special focus on inflammatory process.
• Study of the function of the galanin during regeneration of the nervous system using zebrafish as a model organism.
• Development of a high-throughput translation platform for the preclinical screening of the new chemical substances with a potential therapeutic effect in disorders of the central nervous system.