Sternini Laboratory

Neurogastroenterology and Chemosensing Laboratory

Key Investigator

• Catia Sternini, MD

Funding

• NIH: NIDDK
• UCLA Spitzer Award

Current Research Projects

My research expertise is on neuronal circuits controlling gastrointestinal functions and chemosensing mechanisms underlying feeding disorders, obesity and metabolic dysfunction. Currently, there are two main lines of research in my laboratory:

• Signaling of µ opioid receptors in gut neurons and the effect of receptor activation in opioid bowel syndrome and intestinal inflammation
• The role of gut bitter taste receptors in enteroendocrine chemosensing cells as sentinels detecting changes in gut microbiota associated with obesity and metabolic disorders

Future Research Directions

Our studies will focus on:

• Understanding the mechanisms underlying intracellular adaptations induced by chronic use of opioids and how activation of peripheral µ opioid receptors protects form cell death in intestinal ischemia
• Testing the hypothesis that bitter taste receptors sense changes in the gut microbacteria, and their activation results in release of gut hormones and activation of neuronal pathway that regulate intestinal homeostasis.

Key Publications

1. Sternini C, Spann M, Anton B, Keith DE, Jr., Bunnett NW, Von Zastrow M, Evans C, Brecha NC (1996) Agonist selective endocytosis of mu opioid receptor by neurons in vivo. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 93:9241-9246. PMCID: PMC38626
2. Sternini C, Brecha NC, Minnis J, D’Agostino G, Balestra B, Fiori E, Tonini M. (2000) Role of agonist-dependent receptor internalization in the regulation of µ opioid receptors. Neuroscience 98:233-241.
3. Cattaruzza F, Cenac N, Barocelli E, Impicciatore M, Vergnolle N, E. Hyun, Sternini C (2006) Protective effect of proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) activation on motility impairment and tissue damage induced by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion in rodents. Am J Pathol, 169:177-88. PMCID: PMC1698753
4. Sternini C (2007) Taste Receptors in the Gastrointestinal Tract IV. Functional Implications of Bitter Taste Receptors in Gastrointestinal Chemosensing. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, 292:G457-G461
5. Sternini C, Anselmi L, Rozengurt E (2008) Enteroendocrine cells: a “site” of taste in gastrointestinal chemosensing. Current Opinion in Endocrinology and Diabetes; 15:73-78. PMCID: PMC2943060
6. Patierno S, Anselmi L, Jaramillo I, Scott D, Garcia R, Sternini C (2011) Morphine induces µ opioid receptor endocytosis in guinea pig enteric neurons following prolonged receptor activation. Gastroenterology 140:618-626 [Epub 2010 Nov 9]. PMCID: PMC3033567
7. Saccani F, Anselmi L, Jaramillo I, Bertoni S, Barocelli E, Sternini C. (2012) Protective role of µ opioid receptor activation in intestinal inflammation induced by mesenteric ischemia/reperfusion in mice. J Neurosci Res 90:2146-2153 [Epub 2012 Jul 17]. PMCID: PMC3439549
8. Duraffourd C, Kumala E, Anselmi L, Brecha N, Sternini C. (2014) Opioid-Induced Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling in Rat Enteric Neurons Following Chronic Morphine. PLOS ONE 9(9):e110230.doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110230. PMCID: PMC4193881
9. Vegezzi G, Anselmi L, Huynh J, Barocelli E, Rozengurt E, Raybould H, Sternini C (2014). Diet-induced regulation of bitter taste receptor subtypes in the mouse gastrointestinal tract. PLOS ONE, 9(9):e107732.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0107732. PMCID: PMC4169553
10. Anselmi L, Huynh J, Duraffourd C, Jaramillo I, Vegezzi G, Saccani F, E, Boschetti, N.C. Brecha, De Giorgio R, Sternini C. Activation of µ opioid receptor modulates inflammation in acute experimental colitis. Neurogastroenterol and Motil 2015 Feb 17. doi: 10.1111/nmo.12521. PMCID: PMC4405133

More Information

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