Institute of Biological Sciences

Head:

prof. dr hab. Piotr Wlaź

Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin
room 24B, tel. 81 537 59 34
mail: piotr.wlaz@umcs.lublin.pl

Staff members:

prof. dr hab. Piotr Wlaź
dr hab. Dorota Nieoczym
dr hab. Katarzyna Socała
dr Aneta Unkiewicz-Winiarczyk
dr Mateusz Pieróg

mgr inż Nina Kowalczyk

Doctoral students:

mgr Nikola Gapińska

History

The Chair of Animal Physiology was established in February 1956. Doc. dr Stanisław Dłużewski was the superintendent; next, he was appointed the Head of the Chair in March 1958. From 1960 to 1966, the Chair of Animal Physiology was headed by superintendent prof. dr hab. Wiesław Hołobut, who initiated research in the field of avian and mammalian hematology and respiratory metabolism in invertebrates. In 1966, he was succeeded by doc. dr hab. Jerzy Cytawa, who served the function until 1972. The main research problem studied at that time was the central regulation of nutrition and the respiratory transformation of butterfly larvae and several groups of millipedes. In 1970, the Chair was transformed into the Department of Animal Physiology. In 1972–1998, doc. dr hab. Eligiusz Modrzejewski was appointed the Head of the Department. The research conducted at that time was focused on the genetic control of hemodynamic processes in animals and the impact of various environmental factors on vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. In the following years, the Department was coordinated by prof. dr hab. Kazimiera Gromysz-Kałkowska (1998–2002) and prof. dr hab. Piotr Wlaź (2002-present). On October 1, 2019, the Department of Animal Physiology was transformed into the Department of Animal Physiology and Pharmacology.

Current research topics

• Mechanisms of development and treatment of selected neurological and psychiatric diseases (epilepsy, depression, anxiety disorders);
• Identification of natural and synthetic compounds with potential anticonvulsant, antidepressant, and anxiolytic effects;
• Toxicological analyses of new substances and assessment of interactions between drugs/substances

Research projects

1. Fuga 5 (NCN) (2016–2019) „Rola receptora GPR39 w zaburzeniach drgawkowych” [Role of receptor GPR39 in seizures]. Head of the project: dr Urszula Doboszewska
2. Miniatura 1 (NCN) (2017–2018) „Wpływ kannabidiolu na aktywność nowych leków przeciwpadaczkowych w modelach drgawek indukowanych elektrycznie u myszy” [Effect of cannabidiol on the activity of new antiepileptic drugs in electrically induced murine seizure models].  Head of the project: dr Katarzyna Socała
3. Iuventus Plus (MNiSW) (2015–2016) „Ocena przeciwdepresyjnego działania sildenafilu (selektywnego inhibitora fosfodiesterazy 5) i jego wpływu na terapię przeciwdepresyjną u myszy” [Assessment of the antidepressant effect of sildenafil (selective phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor) and its effect on antidepressant therapy in mice]. Head of the project: dr Katarzyna Socała
4. Iuventus Plus (MNiSW) (2012–2013) „Wpływ sildenafilu na aktywność drgawkową oraz działanie wybranych leków przeciwpadaczkowych w modelu drgawek psychomotorycznych wywoływanych prądem elektrycznym o częstotliwości 6 Hz u myszy” [Impact of sildenafil on seizures and action of selected antiepileptic drugs in a model of psychomotor seizures induced by 6-Hz electric current in mice]. Head of the project: dr Dorota Nieoczym
5. Research grant (KBN) (2008–2011) „Wpływ sildenafilu na działanie klasycznych i nowych leków przeciwpadaczkowych w modelach napadów padaczkowych u myszy. Badania farmakodynamiczne i farmakokinetyczne” [Effect of sildenafil on the action of classic and new anti-epileptic drugs in murine seizure models. Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies]. Head of the project: prof. dr hab. Piotr Wlaź

Patents

Patent No. PL 222757 (Urząd Patentowy Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej); 2016

„Sposób konserwacji nasienia knura” [Method for preservation of boar semen]. Inventors: Waldemar Andrzej Turski, Paweł Milart, Piotr Wlaź

Research cooperation

The Department of Animal Physiology and Pharmacology cooperates with the following units of Lublin universities: Medical University (Chair and Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Chair of Pharmacy with Medical Analytics Division, Chair and Department of Pathophysiology, II Faculty of Medicine with English Language Division.

We also cooperate with the following national research centres: Jagiellonian University (Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Chair of Pharmacodynamics, and Department of Pharmacokinetics and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy), Medical University of Łódź (Department of Biochemistry, Inter-faculty Department of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry).

The Department of Animal Physiology and Pharmacology cooperates with the following foreign research institutions:  Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover (Germany), The Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Oslo (Norway).

Awards and distinctions

• Dr hab. Katarzyna Socała - UMCS Rector's Individual Award for a high-score research paper (2019)
• Dr Urszula Doboszewska - The Heinz-Zumkley-Prize of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements  (2019)
• Dr Urszula Doboszewska - UMCS Rector's Individual Award for a high-score research paper (2018)
• Prof. dr hab. Piotr Wlaź, dr hab. Katarzyna Socała, dr Dorota Nieoczym, dr Mateusz Pieróg - UMCS Rector's Team Award for a cycle of publications (2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013)
• Dr Aneta Unkiewicz-Winiarczyk - UMCS Rector's Individual Award for  didactic achievements (2015)
• Dr Mateusz Pieróg - 3^rd degree UMCS Rector's Team Award for organisation of Open Days at the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology in 2012–2013 (2014)
• Dr hab. Dorota Nieoczym - START Stipend for young scientists of the Foundation for Polish Science (2013)
• Dr hab. Katarzyna Socała - START Stipend for young scientists of the Foundation for Polish Science (2013)

Major publications

• Poleszak E., Wośko S., Sławinska K., Wyska E., Szopa A., Sobczyński J., Wróbel A., Doboszewska U., Wlaź P., Wlaź A., Szponar J., Skalecki P., Serefko A. (2019) Ligands of the CB2 cannabinoid receptors augment activity of the conventional antidepressant drugs in the behavioural tests in mice. Behav Brain Res 378:112297.
• Kamiński K., Socała K., Zagaja M., Andres-Mach M., Abram M., Jakubiec M., Pieróg M., Nieoczym D., Rapacz A., Gawel K., Esguerra C.V., Latacz G., Lubelska A., Szulczyk B., Szewczyk A., Łuszczki J.J., Wlaź P. (2019) N-Benzyl-(2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl)propanamide (AS-1) with hybrid structure as a candidate for a broad-spectrum antiepileptic drug. Neurotherapeutics doi: 10.1007/s13311-019-00773-w
• Socała K., Wyska E., Szafarz M., Nieoczym D., Wlaź P. (2019b) Acute effect of cannabidiol on the activity of various novel antiepileptic drugs in the maximal electroshock- and 6Hz-induced seizures in mice: Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies. Neuropharmacology 158:107733.
• Domin H., Piergies N., Pięta E., Wyska E., Pochwat B., Wlaź P., Śmiałowska M., Paluszkiewicz C., Szewczyk B. (2019) Characterization of the brain penetrant neuropeptide Y Y2 receptor antagonist SF-11. ACS Chem Neurosci 10:3454-3463.
• Nieoczym D., Socała K., Jedziniak P., Wyska E., Wlaź P. (2019) Effect of pterostilbene, a natural analog of resveratrol, on the activity of some antiepileptic drugs in the acute seizure tests in mice. Neurotox Res 36:859-869.
• Socała K., Mogilski S., Pieróg M., Nieoczym D., Abram M., Szulczyk B., Lubelska A., Latacz G., Doboszewska U., Wlaź P., Kaminski K. (2019) KA-11, a novel pyrrolidine-2,5-dione derived broad-spectrum anticonvulsant: its antiepileptogenic, antinociceptive properties and in vitro characterization. ACS Chem Neurosci 10:636-648.
• Doboszewska U., Młyniec K., Wlaź A., Poleszak E., Nowak G., Wlaź P. (2019) Zinc signaling and epilepsy. Pharmacol Ther 193:156-177.
• Kędzierska E., Dąbkowska L., Obierzyński P., Polakowska M., Poleszak E., Wlaź P., Szewczyk K., Kotlińska J. (2018) Synergistic action of sodium selenite with some antidepressants and diazepam in mice. Pharmaceutics 10(4):270.
• Szopa A., Poleszak E., Doboszewska U., Herbet M., Świąder K., Wyska E., Serefko A., Wlaź A., Korga A., Ostrowska M., Jus P., Jedynak S., Dudka J., Wlaź P. (2018) Withdrawal of caffeine after its chronic administration modifies the antidepressant-like activity of atypical antidepressants in mice. Changes in cortical expression of Comt, Slc6a15 and Adora1 genes. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 235:2423-2434.
• Socała K., Nieoczym D., Pieróg M., Wyska E., Szafarz M., Doboszewska U., Wlaź P. (2018) Effect of tadalafil on seizure threshold and activity of antiepileptic drugs in three acute seizure tests in mice. Neurotox Res 34(3):333-346.
• Pieróg M., Guz L., Doboszewska U., Poleszak E., Wlaź P. (2018) Effects of alprazolam treatment on anxiety-like behavior induced by color stimulation in adult zebrafish. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 82:297-306.
• Nieoczym D., Socała K., Wlaź P. (2018) Evaluation of the role of different neurotransmission systems in the anticonvulsant action of sildenafil in the 6 Hz-induced psychomotor seizure threshold test in mice. Biomed Pharmacother 107:1674-1681.
• Pytka K., Socała K., Rapacz A., Nieoczym D., Pieróg M., Grybos A., Siwek A., Waszkielewicz A., Wlaź P. (2017) HBK-14 and HBK-15, triple 5-HT1A, 5-HT7 and 5-HT3 antagonists with potent antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like properties, increase seizure threshold in various seizure tests in mice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 79:378-385.
• Doboszewska U., Wlaź P., Nowak G., Radziwon-Zaleska M., Cui R., Mlyniec K. (2017) Zinc in the monoaminergic theory of depression: its relationship to neural plasticity. Neural Plast 2017:3682752.
• Wróbel A., Doboszewska U., Rechberger E., Wlaź P., Rechberger T. (2017) SN003, a CRF1 receptor antagonist, attenuates depressive-like behavior and detrusor overactivity symptoms induced by 13-cis-retinoic acid in rats. Eur J Pharmacol 812:216-224.
• Socała K., Nieoczym D., Kowalczuk-Vasilev E., Wyska E., Wlaź P. (2017) Increased seizure susceptibility and other toxicity symptoms following acute sulforaphane treatment in mice. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 326:43-53.
• Szopa A., Doboszewska U., Herbet M., Wośko S., Wyska E., Świąder K., Serefko A., Korga A., Wlaź A., Wróbel A., Ostrowska M., Terlecka J., Kanadys A., Poleszak E., Dudka J., Wlaź P. (2017) Chronic treatment with caffeine and its withdrawal modify the antidepressant-like activity of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the forced swim and tail suspension tests in mice. Effects on Comt, Slc6a15 and Adora1 gene expression. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 337:95-103.
• Socała K., Wlaź P. (2016) Evaluation of the antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like activity of alpha-spinasterol, a plant derivative with TRPV1 antagonistic effects, in mice. Behav Brain Res 303:19-25.
• Wlaź P., Socała K., Nieoczym D., Żarnowski T., Żarnowska I., Czuczwar S.J., Gasior M. (2015) Acute anticonvulsant effects of capric acid in seizure tests in mice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 57:110-6.
• Socała K, Nieoczym D, Pieróg M, Wlaź P. (2015) α-Spinasterol, a TRPV1 receptor antagonist, elevates the seizure threshold in three acute seizure tests in mice. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 122(9):1239-47.
• Socała K., Nieoczym D., Pieróg M., Wlaź P. (2015) Role of the adenosine system and glucose restriction in the acute anticonvulsant effect of caprylic acid in the 6 Hz psychomotor seizure test in mice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 57:44-51.