Faculty
Staff
Faculty Openings

Dr. Debra C. DuBois

Research Associate Professor
Hochstetter 117
phone: (716) 645-4907
e-mail: dubois@nsm.buffalo.edu
Further research info

Research Summary

Glucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormone which regulate systemic gluconeogenesis. In addition, glucocorticoids are potent suppressors of immune system function. Synthetic glucocorticoids are widely used clinically as immunosuppressant and anti-inflammatory drugs. However, many of the side-effects of these agents result from their gluconeogenic effects on muscle, liver, kidney, and adipose tissue. A primary mechanism of action of glucocorticoids involves modulation of gene expression. The goal of our work is to apply a pharmacodynamic approach to glucocorticoid modulation of gene expression at the transcriptional and translational levels. A primary focus concerns the role of receptor autoregulation in steroid response to various steroid dosing regimens.

Selected Publications

• Ramakrishnan, R., DuBois, D., Almon, R., Pyszczynski, N., and Jusko, W., Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacogenomics of Methylprednisolone During Seven-day Infusion in Rats. J. Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 300: 245-256, 2002
• Ramakrishnan, R., DuBois, D., Almon, R., Pyszczynski, N., and Jusko, W., Fifth- Generation Model for Corticosteroid Pharmacodynamics: Application to Steady-state Receptor Down-regulation and Enzyme Induction Patterns during Seven-day Continuous Infusion of Methylprednisolone in Rat. In Press J. Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
• Richard R. almon, Debra C. DuBois, Emily Bachman, Wei Shi, Shuzhong Zhang, Robert M. Straubinger, and William J Jusko. Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacogenomics of Diverse Receptor-Mediated Effects of Methylprednisolone in Rats using Microarray Analysis. In Press J. Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
• Almon, R.R. and DuBois, D.C. Tyrosine Transaminase. Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology Vol. 5: 3297-3300
• Almon, R.R. and DuBois, D. C. Quantitation of expressed message for Inducible nitric oxide synthase (EC 1.14.13.39). In Press Methods in Enzymology