Education:
BSc, Biology. Faculty of Biology, University of Moscow, Russia.
MSc in Biophysics. Instituto of Scientific Investigation of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
PhD in Neurophysiology. Sherrington School of Physiology, University of London, UK.
Postgraduate training:
Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida
State University, Tallahassee FL.
Current Position:
Postoctoral Research Associate and Associate Faculty in
Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience,
Florida State University, Tallahassee FL.
Research Interests:
I became interested in central and peripheral mechanisms
of nociception and it regulation because of the fact that
pain is a major debilitating symptom and that research in
pain modulation has clinical relevance. I am especially
interested in visceral pain in women. In this regard, I
work with several rat models of visceral pain: bladder inflammation,
colon inflammation, uterine inflammation and endometriosis.
My goal is to understand how different endogenous and exogenous
substances such as hormones, neurotrophins, cytokines and
cannabinoids regulate visceral functions and especially
how they modulate nociception.
I also became interested in aging because overactive bladder
is a common problem in older women.
Current Research:
In my present work in Prof. Karen J. Berkley's lab, I am
studying viscero-visceral interactions (Dmitrieva et al.,
2001) and a role of cannabinoid receptors in uterine and
bladder motility (Dmitrieva and Berkley, 2002). My research
interest also extends onto studying how ovarian hormones
and inflammation influence cannabinoid effects in bladder,
uterus and colon. Using a rat model of endometriosis, I
am examining neural innervation of endometriotic cysts,
and trying to investigate how cannabinoids and hormones
regulate this innervation. I am also interested in mechanisms
of aging in the female bladder. I pursue the hypothesis
that depletion of ovarian hormones that occur naturally
with aging or after removal of ovaries causes partial denervation
of the bladder that in turn leads to sensitization of bladder
a-adrenergic receptors. I am trying to determine whether
nerve stimulation - evoked bladder contractions are more
sensitive to influence of a-adrenergic receptor ligands
in aged female rats and in rats with removed ovaries than
in their young mature counterparts.
Selected Publications:
Dmitrieva, N., Shelton, D., Rice, A.S.C., and MaMahon
S.B. The role of nerve growth factor in a model of visceral
inflammation. Neuroscience, 1997,78:449-459.
Dmitrieva, N., Johnson, O.L. and Berkley, K.J. Bladder inflammation and hypogastric neurectomy influence on uterine motility in the rat. Neuroscience Letters, 2001, 313:49-52.
Dmitrieva, N. and Berkley, K.J. Contrasting effects of WIN 55212-2 on motility of the rat bladder and uterus. Journal of Neuroscience, 2002, 22(16):7147-53.
Dmitrieva, N., Rodríguez-Malaver, A., Pérez, J., Hernández, L. Differential release of neurotransmitters from Superficial and Deep Layers of the Dorsal Horn in Response to Acute and Chronic Noxious Stimulation of the Rat Paw. Accepted in European Journal of Pain, September 2002.
Recent Abstracts:
Dmitrieva N., Berkley K.J. Inhibition of the contrasting
effects of WIN55,212-2 on the rat bladder and uterus by
CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A, 30th Annual Meeting of
Society for Neuroscience, New Orleans, USA. November 2000.
Kohut B.; Johnson O., Dmitrieva N., Elam J.S., Berkley K.J., Influence of reproductive status on bladder capacity of the inflamed and uninflamed bladder in the female rat, 31st Annual Meeting of Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, USA. November 2001.
Dmitrieva N., Johnson O., Berkley K.J., Viscero-visceral interactions between the lower urinary and reproductive tracts, 31st Annual Meeting of Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, USA. November 2001.
Rodriguez A.J., Dmitrieva N., Perez Lu J., Hernandez L. Differential release of neurotransmitters in spinal cord induced by acute and chronic noxious stimulation of the rat paw, 31st Annual Meeting of Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, USA. November 2001.
Peng W., Dmitrieva N., Berkley K.J. Responses of gracile nucleus neruons to bladder distention and contraction before and after bladder inflammation in female rats. IASP 10th World Congress in Pain, San Diego, USA. August 2002.
Dmitrieva N., Berkley K.J. Reduction of bladder
reflexes by the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 (WN2) varies
with 32st Annual Meeting of Society for Neuroscience, Orlando,
USA November 2002.