Dr Colin Brown
University Position
Senior Lecturer
Department
Department of Physiology
Tel 64 3 479 7354
Fax 64 3 479 7323
Email
Interests
Our research group principally uses electrophysiology and immunohistochemistry to determine how the brain controls birth, lactation, food intake and water balance. We currently focus on the control of the secretion of the hormone, oxytocin, which is necessary for birth and lactation, and is involved in driving increased food intake during pregnancy. We are also investigating how vasopressin (anti-diuretic hormone) neurons prevent water loss in the urine to protect from dehydration and how malfunction of vasopressin neurons might contribute to the development of hypertension.
Keywords
oxytocin, vasopressin, reproduction, obesity, water balance
Clinical conditions
Preterm labour, obesity, dehydration, hypertension
Technical expertise
In vivo extracellular single-unit recording, in vitro sharp electrode and whole cell recording.
Laboratory Staff
Research Fellows |
Research Assistants |
PhD Students |
Undergraduate StudentsAlexander Seymour |
Representative Publications
Scott V & Brown CH. (2011). Kisspeptin activation of supraoptic nucleus neurons in vivo. Endocrinology, 152, pp. 3862-3870. View abstract
Fleming TM, Scott V, Joe N, Naskar K, Brown CH, Stern JE. (2011). State-dependent changes in astrocyte regulation of extrasynaptic NMDA receptor signalling in neurosecretory neurons. J Physiol, 589(Pt 16), pp. 3929-41. View abstract
Ruan M, Russell JA, Brown CH. (2011). Acute morphine administration and withdrawal from chronic morphine increase afterdepolarization amplitude in rat supraoptic nucleus neurons in hypothalamic explants. Neuropharmacology, 61, pp. 789-797. View abstract
Scott V, Brown CH. (2010). State-dependent plasticity in vasopressin neurones: dehydration-induced changes inactivity patterning. J Neuroendocrinol, 22 (5), pp. 343-54. View abstract
Scott V, Bishop VR, Leng G, Brown CH. (2009). Dehydration-induced modulation of κ-opioid inhibition of vasopressin neurone activity. J Physiol, 587, pp. 5679-5689. View abstract
Ruan M, Brown C. (2009). Feedback inhibition of action potential discharge by endogenous adenosine enhancement of the medium afterhyperpolarization. J Physiol, 587, pp. 1043-1056. View abstract