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Peter Kuhn
Postdoctoral Associate
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Work phone: 732 932 8165 x 225		 Peter Kuhn

 
  • My main areas of interest are investigating the integrating areas of behavior in the hypothalamus and the effect of ethanol on those areas. My thesis project examined the effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on the development of the rat cerebral cortex.

  • After I received my Ph. D. from Rutgers University, I was employed as a postdoctoral research associate at Columbia University. I worked on developing a knockout mouse strain by mutating the gene for a neuronal intermediate protein.

  • During my second research associate, I focused my prenatal ethanol research to examine how β-endorphin cells of the rat hypothalamus respond to ethanol. I was interested in examining the biochemical mechanisms for reduced stress response exhibited by alcohol-exposed individuals. The rat β-endorphin cells exhibited an increase in apoptosis and the adult rats showed reduced number of β-endorphin cells. During this research, I associated this phenotype with a TGβ1 pathway.

  • Lastly, I worked on the biochemical changes seen in the developing rat ovary following exposure to the estrogenic compound methoxychlor (mainly used as a pesticide).

PUBLISHED PAPERS:

  1. Ellsaisser, C. F., P. E. Kuhn, and M. H. Hanna (1986). Analysis of developmentally defective chemical signaling mutants. J. Bacteriol. 165:647-649.

  2. Miller, M. W., M. A. Murtaugh, and P. E. Kuhn (1994). Developmental expression of a 56 kDa protein isolated from developing rat neocortex. Dev. Brain Res. 81:260-268.

  3. Miller, M. W., and P. E. Kuhn (1995). Cell cycle kinetics in fetal rat cerebral cortex: effects of prenatal exposure assessed by a cumulative labeling technique with flow cytometry. Alcoholism Clin. Exp. Res. 19:233-237.

  4. Kuhn, P. E., and M. W. Miller (1996). c-neu protein in developing rostral cerebral cortex: relationship to epidermal growth factor receptor. J. Comp. Neurol. 372:189-203.

  5. Miller, M. W., and P. E. Kuhn (1997). Neonatal transection of the infraorbital nerve increases the expression of proteins related to neuronal death in the principal sensory nucleus of the trigeminal nerve. Brain Res. 769:233-244.

  6. Kuhn, P. E., and M. W. Miller (1998). Expression of p53 and ALZ-50 immunoreactivity in rat cortex: effect of prenatal exposure to ethanol. Exp. Neurol. 154:418-429.

  7. Chen, C. P., Kuhn, P., Advis, J. P., Sarkar, D. K. (2004). Chronic ethanol consumption impairs the circadian rhythm of pro-opiomelanocortin and period genes mRNA expression in the hypothalamus of the male rat. J. Neurochem. 88:1547-54.

  8. Chen, C. P., Kuhn, P., Chaturvedi, K., Sarkar, D. K. (2006). Ethanol Induces Apoptotic Death of Developing β-Endorphin Neurons via Suppression of Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Production and Activation of Transforming Growth Factor-beta1-Linked Apoptotic Signaling. Mol. Pharmacol. 69:706-17.

Presentations at National Meetings:

  1. Miller, M. W., P. Kuhn, and R. S. Nowakowski (1990). Effect of prenatal exposure on cell kinetics and growth fraction in cortical proliferative zones of rats. Alcoholism Exp. Clin. Res. Suppl 14:319.

  2. Kuhn, P. E., and M. W. Miller (1992). Pre- and postnatal changes in the expression of proto-oncogenes during the development of rostral cerebral cortex. Abs. Soc. Neuroscience 18:1120.

  3. Kuhn, P. E., and M. W. Miller (1993). Ethanol-induced increase in the expression of a 56 kDa protein in rat cortex: Evidence that prenatal exposure to ethanol causes the postnatal death of neurons. Alcoholism Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl 17:485.

  4. Kuhn, P. E., and M. W. Miller (1993). Developmental expression of c-neu proteins in rostral cerebral cortex. Abs. Soc. Neuroscience 19:49.

  5. Miller, M. W., and P. E. Kuhn (1994). Expression of ALZ-50 and fetal tau are differently affected by prenatal exposure to ethanol. Alcoholism Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl 18.

  6. Kuhn, P. E., and M. W. Miller (1994) Relationship of c-neu oncoproteins and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) in developing rat cerebral cortex. Abs. Soc. Neuroscience 20:1668.

  7. Pitts, A. F., and P. E. Kuhn, and M. W. Miller (1994). Comparison of c-neu oncoproteins with neurotrophin receptors in the mature rat: cerebral cortex and basal forebrain. Abs. Soc. Neuroscience 20:40.

  8. De, A., S. Jain, P. Kuhn, N. Boyadjieva, D. Sarkar (2001). Effect of Binge-Like Ethanol Administration on Programmed Cell Death of Hypothalamic β-Endorphin Neurons. Alcoholism Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl 25.

  9. Kuhn, P., D. Sarkar (2001). Ethanol Exposure Amplifies the Process of Apoptosis During the Development of Hypothalamic β-Endorphin Cells in Culture. Alcoholism Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl 25.

  10. Chaturverdi, K., P. Kuhn, D. K. Sarkar (2002). Similarity in Expression of some pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins during ethanol- and TGF-β1-induced apoptotic death in rat hypothalamic cells: comparison by western blot analysis. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 26: 783.

  11. Chen, C. P., P. Kuhn., D. K. Sarkar (2002). Similarity in Expression of some pro- and anti-apoptotic genes during ethanol- and TGF-β1-induced apoptotic death in rat hypothalamic cells: comparison by real-time PCR analysis. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 26: 784.

  12. Kuhn, P., D. K. Sarkar (2002). Comparison of the Effects of ethanol and TGFβ1 on RB 110, E2F2, P53 and Bad protein Level in Hypothalamic cells in primary culture. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 26: 785.

  13. Grandison, L., P. Kuhn, D. K. Sarkar (2002). Similarity in Expression of some pro- and anti-apoptotic genes during ethanol- and TGF-β1-induced apoptotic death in rat hypothalamic cells: comparison by microarray analysis. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 26: 783.

  14. Boyadjieva, N., Arjona, A., Kuhn, P., Poplawski, M., Sarkar, D. (2003). The opioid antagonist naltrexone reduces alcohol's suppressive action on nk cell cytolytic activity activity. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 27: 196.

  15. Kuhn, P., Sarkar, D. (2003). Ethanol induces apoptotic death of β-endorphin neurons in the hypothalamus by a TGFβ dependent mechanism. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 27: 229.

  16. Chen, C., Kuhn, P., Poplawski, M., Advis, J. P., Sarkar, D. S. (2003). Ethanol impairs the circadian rhythm of propiomelanocortin (POMC) and PER gene expression in the hypothalamus of male rats. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 27: 316.

  17. Chen, C., Kuhn, P., Poplawski, M., Advis, J. P., Sarkar, D. S. (2003). Use of push pull perfusion in determination of ethanol consumption impairs the circadian rhythm of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and PER gen expression in the hypothalamus of male rats. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 27, 314.

  18. Chen, C., Kuhn, P., Advis, J. P., Sarkar, D. S. (2003). Fetal alcohol exposure impairs the circadian rhythm in hypothalamic expression of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene and in plasma levels of β-endorphin. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 27, 461.

  19. Sorg, A., Kuhn, P., Koley, H., Sarkar, D. S., Kim, K. H. (2003). Effect of in utero ethanol exposure on the postnatal testis development. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 27, 685.

  20. Kuhn, P. E., Chen, C., Sarkar, D. K. (2004). Examination of ethanol exposure on neonatal rat pups and its effect on the expression of apoptotic protein genes in β-endorphin neurons of the hypothalamus: a study using laser capture microdissection and real-time PCR. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 28, 464.

  21. Chen, C., P. Kuhn, J. P. Advis, D. K. Sarkar (2004). Fetal alcohol exposure impairs the circadian rhythm in hypothalamic expression of period and POMC genes. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 28, 947.

  22. David Ribnicky, Alexander Poulev, Peter Kuhn, Sithes Logendra, Aamir Zuberi, William Cefalu, and Ilya Raskin. Bioavailability assessment of an extract of Artemisia dracunculus L. with antidiabetic activities in vitro and in vivo. Abstract for the 67th Scientific Sessions, American Diabetes Association, June 22 - 26, 2007, Chicago IL, USA.

Patents and patent applications:

  • Raskin, Ilya; Ilić, Nebojša; Kuhn, Peter. Methods for reducing circulating glucose levels. U.S. Pat. Appl. Publ. # 20080124412, May, 2008.