Welcome to my website and blog! I’m Larry Rodriguez, a PhD scientist, hiphop head, and award winning stand-up comedian. Check out my publications, learn more about my background and my projects, or check out my methods and resources section to see how I do things!
Patel, R; Gandhi, P; Spencer, K; Salem, N; Erikson, C; Borgonetti, V; Vlkolinsky, R; Rodriguez, L; Nadav, T; Bajo, M; Roberts, A; Mayfield, R; Roberto, M; Functional and morphological adaptation of medial prefrontal corticotropin releasing factor receptor 1-expressing neurons in male mice following chronic ethanol exposure. Neurobiology of Stress, 2024, 100657, ISSN 2352-2895, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100657.
Khom S; Borgonetti, V; Vozella, V; Kirson, D; Rodriguez, L; Gandhi, P; Bianchi, PC; Snyder, A; Vlkolinsky, R; Bajo, M; Oleata, CS; Ciccocioppo, R; Roberto, M; Glucocorticoid receptors regulate central amygdala GABAergic synapses in Marchigian-Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. Neurobiology of Stress. Volume 25, 2023, 100547, ISSN 2352 2895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100547.
Rodriguez, L.; Kirson, D.; Wolfe, S.A.; Patel, R.R.; Varodayan, F.P.; Snyder, A.E.; Gandhi, P.J.; Khom, S.; Vlkolinsky, R.; Bajo, M.; Roberto, M. Alcohol Dependence Induces CRF Sensitivity in Female Central Amygdala GABA Synapses. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 7842. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23147842 PMID: 35887190
Keywords: corticotropin releasing factor (CRF); patch-clamp electrophysiology; sex difference; alcohol use disorder (AUD); Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA); central amygdala (CeA); spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs)
Patel, R.; Wolfe, S.; Borgonetti V.; Ghandi, P.; Rodriguez, L.; Snyder, A.; D’Ambrosio, S.; Bajo, M.; Domissy, A.; Head, S.; Contet, C.; Mayfield, R. Dayne.; Roberts, A.; Roberto, M.; Ethanol withdrawal-induced adaptations in prefrontal corticotropin releasing factor receptor 1-expressing neurons regulate anxiety and conditioned rewarding effects of ethanol. Molecular Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01642-3 PMID: 35668157
Keywords: CRF1 receptor, Ethanol, CSF-1, medial prefrontal cortex, Layer 2/3, sEPSCs, Fluorescence activated cell sorting, RNA sequencing, Behavioral testing
Varodayan, F.; Patel, R.; Matzeu, A.; Wolfe, S.; Curley, D.; Khom, S.; Gandhi, P.; Rodriguez, L.; Bajo, M.; D’Ambrosio, S.; Sun, H.; Kerr, T.; Gonzales, R.; Leggio, L.; Natividad, L.; Haass-Koffler, C.; Martin-Fardon, R.; Roberto, M.; The Amygdala Noradrenergic System Is Compromised With Alcohol Use Disorder, Biological Psychiatry, 2022, ISSN 0006-3223, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.02.006 PMID: 35430085
Keywords: Adrenergic receptor, Ethanol, Norepinephrine/noradrenaline, Prazosin, sIPSCs, Propranolol, Behavioral testing, Translation
Khom, S; Rodriguez, L; Gandhi, P; Kirson, D; Bajo, M; S. Oleata ,C; F. Vendruscolo, L; J. Mason, B; Roberto, M; Alcohol dependence and withdrawal increase sensitivity of central amygdalar GABAergic synapses to the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist mifepristone in male rats, Neurobiology of Disease, 2022, 105610, ISSN 0969-9961, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105610 PMID: 34995754
Keywords: Mifepristone, Glucocorticoid receptors, Central amygdala, Alcohol use disorder, GABA Synaptic transmission, Electrophysiology, sIPSC, eIPSP
Kirson, D; Khom, S; Rodriguez, L; Wolfe, S. A.; Varodayan, F; Gandhi, P. J.; Patel, R. R.; Vlkolinsky, R; Bajo, M; Roberto, M; Sex Differences in Acute Alcohol Sensitivity of Naïve and Alcohol Dependent Central Amygdala GABA Synapses, Alcohol and Alcoholism, 2021;, agab034, https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agab034 PMID: 33912894
Keywords: GABAergic signaling, ethanol, patch-clamp electrophysiology, sex differences, addiction, central amygdala
Rodriguez, L.; Yi, C.; Chu, C.; Duriez, Q.; Watanabe, S.; Ryu, M.; Reyes, B.; Asatryan, L.; Boué-Grabot, E.; Davies, D. Cross-Talk between P2X and NMDA Receptors. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 7187. PMID: 33003406
Keywords: NMDA receptor, P2X2, P2X4, electrophysiology, protein interaction,
Rodriguez L, You C, Brodie MS, Davies DL. Ethanol antagonizes P2X4 receptors in ventral tegmental area neurons. Neuroreport. 2020;31(12):936-941. doi:10.1097/WNR.0000000000001504
Keywords: dopamine, alcohol, electrophysiology, purine receptors, ventral tegmental area
Popova, M.*; Rodriguez, L.*; Trudell, J.R.; Nguyen, S.; Bloomfield, M.; Davies, D.L.; Asatryan, L. Residues in Transmembrane Segments of the P2X4 Receptor Contribute to Channel Function and Ethanol Sensitivity. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 2471. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21072471 PMID: 32252459
Keywords: purinergic (P2X4) receptor; TM1 and TM2 segments; ethanol and agonist action; mutagenesis; molecular model
* Co-first authors
Cayla NS, Dagne BA, Wu Y, Lu Y, Rodriguez L, Davies DL, Gross ER, Heifets BD, Davies MF, MacIver MB, Bertaccini EJ. A newly developed anesthetic based on a unique chemical core. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Jul 30;116(31):15706-15715. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1822076116 PMID: 31308218
Keywords: anesthesia, drug discovery, mechanism, gamma amino butyric acid receptor
Yang S, Chen Y, Feng M, Rodriguez L, Wu JQ, Wang MZ. Improving Eflornithine Oral Bioavailability and Brain Uptake by Modulating Intercellular Junctions With an E-cadherin Peptide. J Pharm Sci. 2019;108(12):3870–3878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xphs.2019.09.015 PMID: 31545969
Keywords: Caco-2 cells; absorption enhancer(s); blood-brain barrier (BBB); intercellular junctions; intestinal absorption; neglected disease(s); oral drug delivery; peptide(s).
Mechanisms of P2XR-Mediated Ethanol Consumption