Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, & Anatomy

2.146 Medical Research Building (MRB)

Route: 1069 | Tel: 409-772-6555 | Fax: (409) 762-9382 | yagu@utmb.edu

Education and Training

MD, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

MS in Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

Visiting scientist in Pain Research, University of Texas Medical Branch

Research Interests

My research interests focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of chronic pain and genetic approaches for the treatment of pain. Using inflammation and nerve injured rats as chronic pain models I have studied the injury-induced modulation of glutamate and purinergic P2X receptor-mediated responses by second messengers, including Ca2+, nitric oxide, protein kinases and peptides. I also introduced adeno-associated viral vectors which carried the mu-opioid receptor gene (rAAV-MOR) into the dorsal root ganglia of these animals. This manipulation produced a long-lasting up-regulation of MORs in DRG neurons and greatly potentiated the antinociceptive effects of morphine. The information obtained from these studies helps us better understand the mechanisms underlying pain processing and suggests new therapeutic approaches to pain relief.

Selected Publications

Gu, Y. and Huang, L.-Y. M. Block of kainate receptor channels by Ca2+ in isolated spinal trigeminal neurons of rat. Neuron 6:777-784, 1991.

Gu, Y. and Huang, L.-Y. M. Modulation of glycine affinity for NMDA receptors by extracellular Ca2+ in trigeminal neurons. J. Neurosci. 14(7): 4561-4570, 1994.

Gu, Y. and Huang, L.-Y. M. Cross-modulation of glycine-activated Cl- channels by protein kinase C and cAMP-dependent protein kinase. J. Physiol. 506(2): 331-339, 1998.

Gu, Y. and Huang, L.-Y. M. Gabapentin actions on NMDA receptor channels are PKC-dependent. Pain 93:85-92, 2001.

Wu, P., Tarasenko,Y., Gu, Y. Huang, L.-Y. M, Coggeshall, R.E. and Yu, Y. Region-specific generation of cholinergic neurons from fetal human neurons from fetal human neural stem cells grafted in adult rat. Nature Neuroscience 5(12):1271-1278, 2002.

Xu, Y., Gu, Y. Xu, G.-Y., Wu, P., Li, G.-W. and Huang, L.-Y. M. Adeno-associated viral transfer of opioid receptor gene to primary sensory neurons - A novel strategy to increase opioid antinociception. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A 100(10):6204-6209, 2003.

Gu, Y. Xu, Y., Li, G. -W. and Huang, L.-Y. M. Remote nerve injection of mu Opioid receptor adeno-associated viral vector increases antinociception of intrathecal morphine. J. Pain 6(7):447-454, 2005.

Gu, Y. Chen, Y., Zhang, X., Li, G., Wang, C. and Huang, L.-Y. M. Neuronal soma-satellite glial cell interactions in sensory ganglia and the participation of purinergic receptors. Neuron Glia Biology 6(1): 523-62, 2010.

Gu, Y. Li, G., Chen, Y. and Huang, L.-Y. M. Epac-PKC alpha signaling in purinergic P2X3R-mediated hyperalgesia after inflammation. Pain 157(7):1541-1550, 2016.

Gu, Y. Li, G. and Huang, L.-Y. M. Inflammation induces Epac-PKC alpha and epsilon signaling in TRPV1-mediated hyperalgesia. Pain 159(11):2383-2393, 2018.