Staff

1. Eva Carola (Coordinator)
2. Oberto Alessandra (Member)
3. (Member)
4. Mele Paolo (Member)

Contacts

• +39.011.6706608
• Send email to members

Activity

The main purpose of our research is to explain the mechanisms by which, during the early stages of life (postnatal period), the environment which an individual is exposed to, and in particular maternal care, determines the susceptibility to psychiatric disorders and metabolic diseases in adulthood.

In particular, we want to study the neuronal circuits (with particular attention to the neurotransmission system mediated by neuropeptide Y) and the molecular mechanisms by which maternal behavior (by emotional and nutritional stimuli) permanently change the response to energetic and emotional stress of an adult.

Explaining these biological mechanisms is crucial for a better understanding of the pathogenic processes not only of psychiatric disorders (anxiety and stress) but also of metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, which affects over 100 million people in the world.

The understanding of these mechanisms is also essential for the development of new therapeutic approaches (pharmacological and not), for the prevention and cure of these diseases.

Group’s ECR Sectors:

LS2_8 - Epigenetics and gene regulation

LS4_3 - Endocrinology

LS4_5 - Metabolism, biological basis of metabolism related disorders

LS5_12 - Psychiatric disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, autism, Tourette’s syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

LS5_2 - Molecular and cellular neuroscience

LS5_3 - Neurochemistry and neuropharmacology

LS5_6 - Developmental neurobiology

LS5_8 - Behavioural neuroscience (e.g. sleep, consciousness, handedness)

Publications

Longo A, Oberto A, Mele P, Mattiello L, Pisu MG, Palanza P, Serra M, Eva C. (2015) NPY-Y1 coexpressed with NPY-Y5 receptors modulate anxiety but not mild social stress response in mice. Genes, brain, and behavior [DOI  PMID]

Makai S, Eva C, Tamas L, Juhasz A. (2015) Multiple elements controlling the expression of wheat high molecular weight glutenin paralogs. Functional & integrative genomics [DOI  PMID]

Fontana R, Della Torre S, Meda C, Longo A, Eva C, Maggi AC. (2014) Estrogen replacement therapy regulation of energy metabolism in female mouse hypothalamus. Endocrinology 155(6) 2213-21 [DOI  PMID]

Longo A, Mele P, Bertocchi I, Oberto A, Bachmann A, Bartolomucci A, Palanza P, Sprengel R, Eva C. (2014) Conditional inactivation of neuropeptide Y Y1 receptors unravels the role of Y1 and Y5 receptors coexpressing neurons in anxiety. Biological psychiatry 76(11) 840-9 [DOI  PMID]

Bertocchi I, Oberto A, Longo A, Mele P, Sabetta M, Bartolomucci A, Palanza P, Sprengel R, Eva C. (2011) Regulatory functions of limbic Y1 receptors in body weight and anxiety uncovered by conditional knockout and maternal care. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108(48) 19395-400 [DOI  PMID]

Resaz R, Emionite L, Vanni C, Astigiano S, Puppo M, Lavieri R, Segalerba D, Pezzolo A, Bosco MC, Oberto A, Eva C, Chou JY, Varesio L, Barbieri O, Eva A. (2011) Treatment of newborn G6pc(-/-) mice with bone marrow-derived myelomonocytes induces liver repair. Journal of hepatology 55(6) 1263-71 [DOI  PMID]

Martini M, Sica M, Gotti S, Eva C, Panzica GC. (2011) Effects of estrous cycle and sex on the expression of neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor in discrete hypothalamic and limbic nuclei of transgenic mice. Peptides 32(6) 1330-4 [DOI  PMID]