IBN-9507961 Lutz, Peter L. The brain of most vertebrates, including humans, has such an obligatory high energy demand that even a short term interruption in brain oxygen supply can result in irreversible neuronal damage. However, in some unique species the brain can survive and recover from the absence of oxygen for many hours. Interestingly, the mechanisms allowing this survival are recapitulated in the initial phases of the mammalian brain responses to the absence of oxygen. Clearly, chemicals in the brain functioning as messenger molecules are of paramount importance in regulating brain activity. Dr. Lutz proposes to investigate the role of these messengers in tolerating oxygen deprivation. One messenger seems to play a paramount role in the response to oxygen deprivation, and that messenger is adenosine. Therefore, Dr. Lutz will determine the role of adenosine in conserving brain energy stores during oxygen deprivation and also in protecting the brain from the ravages of cell loss during periods of low oxygen levels. By learning the mechanisms by which the system survives oxygen deprivation, valuable insights will be provided into the processes underlying the harmful changes that occur during oxygen deprivation in mammalian species and humans.
