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Sukbir Mokha Ph.D.
Affiliation:
Meharry Medical College
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Email: [email protected]
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Narrative
Dr. Mokha has been engaged in pain and analgesia research for over 30 years and has spent the last
10 years in advancing our understanding of the biological mechanisms, a) that make women more
susceptible to the development of pain syndromes such as migraine, irritable bowel syndrome and
fibromyalgia, and b) that generate sex-related differences in the response to analgesics. These
investigations at systems, cellular and molecular levels have provided evidence that estrogen
attenuates the analgesic function of many G- protein- coupled receptors (GPCRs) present in the spinal
cord. These GPCRs include opioid receptors and a2-adrenoceptors, and many are known to mediate
descending inhibition of pain in the spinal cord. Estrogen attenuates or abolishes the analgesic
response elicited by activation of opioid receptor like 1 (ORL1) receptor and a2-adrenoceptors in the
female whereas testosterone is required for the expression of the analgesic response in the male.
Although we showed previously that estrogen attenuates the expression of the ORL1 receptor gene,
more recent studies in the laboratory are also unraveling the contribution of membrane estrogen
receptors in attenuating the analgesic response through non-genomic mechanisms. These studies will
provide important new perspective into the treatment of pain, particularly in women at different
phases of their life (pre-puberty, reproductive years, pregnancy and menopause) and in aging men.
Considering the widespread distribution of these GPCRs in the brain and their involvement in multiple
functions, these findings will have a broader relevance. Presently, I serve as the Chair of the Internal
Advisory Committee for the RCMI grant.
Awards and Honors
1977 1980 University of Edinburgh - Research Scholar
1979
University of London - Birrell Gray Traveling Scholar of the University of Edinburgh at
the School of Pharmacy
1980 1983
- Research Fellowship, Science and Engineering Research Council (UK)
1982
- The Royal Society (London) Study Visit to the University of Goteborg
2001
Meharry Medical College - Faculty Scholar Award
2008
Meharry Medical College - Distinguished Professor, Meharry Medical College, School
of Graduate Studies and Research,
2012
Meharry Medical College - Exemplary Teacher Award, General Board of Higher
Education and the Ministry of the United Methodist
Publications
1.
Nag S, Mokha SS. Activation of a Gq-coupled membrane estrogen receptor rapidly PubMed
attenuates a2-adrenoceptor-induced antinociception via an ERK I/II-dependent, nongenomic mechanism in the female rat. Neuroscience. 2014 May 16; 267:122-34.
2.
Small KM, Nag S, Mokha SS. Activation of membrane estrogen receptors attenuates PubMed
opioid receptor-like1 receptor-mediated antinociception via an ERK-dependent nongenomic mechanism. Neuroscience. 2013; 255:177-90.
3.
Lawson KP, Nag S, Thompson AD, Mokha SS. Sex-specificity and estrogen- PubMed
dependence of kappa opioid receptor-mediated antinociception and
antihyperalgesia. Pain. 2010 Dec; 151(3):806-15.
4.
Nag S, Mokha SS. Testosterone is essential for alpha(2)-adrenoceptor-induced PubMed
antinociception in the trigeminal region of the male rat. Neurosci Lett. 2009 Dec 18;
467(1):48-52.
5.
Claiborne JA, Nag S, Mokha SS. Estrogen-dependent, sex-specific modulation of PubMed
mustard oil-induced secondary thermal hyperalgesia by orphanin FQ in the rat.
Neurosci Lett. 2009 Jun 5; 456(2):59-63.
6.
Nag S, Wang Q, Limbird LE, Mokha SS. Knockout of spinophilin, an endogenous PubMed
antagonist of arrestin-dependent alpha2-adrenoceptor functions, enhances
receptor-mediated antinociception yet does not eliminate sex-related differences.
Behav Brain Res. 2009 Feb 11; 197(2):457-61.
7.
Thompson AD, Angelotti T, Nag S, Mokha SS. Sex-specific modulation of spinal PubMed
nociception by alpha2-adrenoceptors: differential regulation by estrogen and
testosterone. Neuroscience. 2008 Jun 2; 153(4):1268-77.
8.
Claiborne J, Nag S, Mokha SS. Activation of opioid receptor like-1 receptor in the PubMed
spinal cord produces sex-specific antinociception in the rat: estrogen attenuates
antinociception in the female, whereas testosterone is required for the expression of
antinociception in the male. J Neurosci. 2006 Dec 13; 26(50):13048-53.
9.
Nag S, Mokha SS. Activation of alpha2-adrenoceptors in the trigeminal region PubMed
produces sex-specific modulation of nociception in the rat. Neuroscience. 2006 Nov
3; 142(4):1255-62.
10. Nag S, Mokha SS. Estrogen attenuates antinociception produced by stimulation of PubMed
Kölliker-Fuse nucleus in the rat. Eur J Neurosci. 2004 Dec; 20(11):3203-7.
11. Flores CA, Shughrue P, Petersen SL, Mokha SS. Sex-related differences in the PubMed
distribution of opioid receptor-like 1 receptor mRNA and colocalization with
estrogen receptor mRNA in neurons of the spinal trigeminal nucleus caudalis in the
rat. Neuroscience. 2003; 118(3):769-78.
12. Wang XM, Zhang ZJ, Bains R, Mokha SS. Effect of antisense knock-down of PubMed
alpha(2a)- and alpha(2c)-adrenoceptors on the antinociceptive action of clonidine
on trigeminal nociception in the rat. Pain. 2002 Jul; 98(1-2):27-35.
13. Flores CA, Wang XM, Zhang KM, Mokha SS. Orphanin FQ produces gender-specific PubMed
modulation of trigeminal nociception: behavioral and electrophysiological
observations. Neuroscience. 2001; 105(2):489-98.
14. Wang XM, Zhang KM, Long LO, Flores CA, Mokha SS. Endomorphin-1 and PubMed
endomorphin-2 modulate responses of trigeminal neurons evoked by N-methyl-Daspartic acid and somatosensory stimuli. J Neurophysiol. 2000 Jun; 83(6):3570-4.
15. Wang XM, Zhang KM, Long LO, Mokha SS. Orphanin FQ (nociceptin) modulates PubMed
responses of trigeminal neurons evoked by excitatory amino acids and
somatosensory stimuli, and blocks the substance P-induced facilitation of N-methylD-aspartate-evoked responses. Neuroscience. 1999; 93(2):703-12.
16. Zhang KM, Wang XM, Peterson AM, Chen WY, Mokha SS. alpha2-adrenoceptors PubMed
modulate NMDA-evoked responses of neurons in superficial and deeper dorsal horn
of the medulla. J Neurophysiol. 1998 Oct; 80(4):2210-4.
17. Wang XM, Yan JQ, Zhang KM, Mokha SS. Role of opioid receptors (mu, delta 1, delta PubMed
2) in modulating responses of nociceptive neurons in the superficial and deeper
dorsal horn of the medulla (trigeminal nucleus caudalis) in the rat. Brain Res. 1996
Nov 11; 739(1-2):235-43.
18. Wang XM, Zhang KM, Mokha SS. Nociceptin (orphanin FQ), an endogenous ligand PubMed
for the QRL1 (opioid-receptor-like1) receptor; modulates responses of trigeminal
neurons evoked by excitatory amino acids and somatosensory stimuli. J
Neurophysiol. 1996 Nov; 76(5):3568-72.
19. Wang XM, Mokha SS. Opioids modulate N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)-evoked PubMed
responses of trigeminothalamic neurons. J Neurophysiol. 1996 Sep; 76(3):2093-6.
20. Zhang KM, Wang XM, Mokha SS. Opioids modulate N-methyl-D-aspartic acid PubMed
(NMDA)-evoked responses of neurons in the superficial and deeper dorsal horn of
the medulla (trigeminal nucleus caudalis). Brain Res. 1996 May 6; 719(1-2):229-33.
21. Mokha SS. Morphine differentially modulates nociceptive input in the superficial PubMed
versus the deeper dorsal horn of the medulla (trigeminal nucleus caudalis) in the rat.
Brain Res. 1993 Oct 29; 626(1-2):318-21.
22. Mokha SS. Morphine alters the firing of cold-receptive neurons in the superficial PubMed
dorsal horn of the medulla in the rat. Brain Res. 1993 Feb 5; 602(2):205-14.
23. Mokha SS. Differential influence of naloxone on the responses of nociceptive PubMed
neurons in the superficial versus the deeper dorsal horn of the medulla in the rat.
Pain. 1992 Jun; 49(3):405-13.
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