School of Biomedical Sciences, CUHK

Prof RUDD John Anthony 陸臻賢
B.Sc., Ph.D.
Room 405A, Choh-Ming Li Basic Medical Sciences Building, CUHK
26096789
jar@cuhk.edu.hk

Research Interests

1.	As a pharmacologist, I have a strong interest in drug development and drug safety, and a track record of collaboration with the international pharmaceutical sector through my Emesis Research Group. Previous studies in my Brain-Gut Laboratory were concerned with the discovery of new treatments to prevent the gastrointestinal side effects of drugs. A neuropharmacological and behavioural approach was used to study mechanisms at the level of the brainstem including the area postrema and nucleus tractus solitarius, and to also investigate neuronal control mechanisms in the gastrointestinal tract. These investigations have also lead to an increased understanding of the mechanisms of action of several classes of anti-emetic drug and/or contributed to the clinical testing of new chemical entities.

2.	We have recently developed an interest in the use of radiotelemetry to record biopotentials during our experiments. With this technology, we monitor electrical signals from the brain, gastrointestinal tract, and cardiovascular system. This enables us to have new insights into mechanisms of neurodegeneration during processes involved in aging and to also examine the neurotoxicity of drug action in a whole animal situation.

3.	We also use Microelectrode Array (MEA) technology to examine mechanisms of drugs that are known to cause neurotoxicity in the brain and gastrointestinal tract. Studies are performed by interfacing cultured cells and tissue slices with microchips that are capable of detecting electrical signals. This modern electrophysiological approach, lead by Prof. C.K. Yeung, involves team members across several Universities in Hong Kong and in Germany.

4.	Most of our studies are supported by modern molecular techniques and immunohistochemistry (e.g. c-fos) for assessing cellular activity and to also assess cell damage. However, we also apply microdialysis to investigate changes of neurotransmitter function during behavioural tests, and have an interest in using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess brain and gastrointestinal function in disease models and during drug treatment.

5.	A study of the mechanism of action of drugs to affect memory processing in aged- and transgenic-animals is planned in conjunction with investigations examining changes in gastrointestinal function. It is hoped that our novel and comprehensive research approach would lead to the discovery of new and safer medicines for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, and for the treatment of age-associated dysfunction of gastrointestinal motility.

Publications

1.	Yamamoto K, Chan SW, Rudd JA, Asano K and Yamatodani Y (2009), Involvement of hypothalamic glutamate in cisplatin-induced emesis in Suncus murinus (house musk shrew), Journal of Pharmacological Sciences 109: 631-634.

2.	Holmes AM, Rudd JA, Tattersall FD, Aziz Q, and Andrews PLR (2009), Opportunities for the replacement of animals in the study of nausea and vomiting, British Journal of Pharmacology Doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00176.x

3.	Warneck JB, Cheng FHM, Barnes MJ, Mills JS, Montana JG, Naylor RJ, Ngan MP, Wai MK, Daiss JO, Tacke R, and Rudd JA (2008), Action of (R)-sila-venlafaxine and reboxetine to antagonize cisplatin-induced acute and delayed emesis in the ferret, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 232: 369-375.

4.	Kan KKW, Ngan MP, Wai MK, and Rudd JA (2008), Mechanism of the prostanoid TP receptor agonist U46619 for inducing emesis in the ferret, Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology 378: 655-661.

5.	Cheng, FHM, Chan SW, and Rudd JA (2008), Contractile effect of tachykinins on Suncus murinus (house musk shrew) isolated ileum, Neuropeptides 42: 671-679.

6.	Sam TSW, Ngan MP, Riendeau D, Robichaud A and Rudd JA (2007), Action of cyclooxygenase inhibitors and a leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitor on cisplatin-induced acute and delayed emesis in the ferret, Journal of Pharmacological Sciences 103: 189-200.

7.	Chan SW, Rudd JA, Lin, G and Li P (2007), Action of anti-tussive drugs on the emetic reflex of Suncus murinus (house musk shrew), European Journal of Pharmacology 559: 196-201.

8.	Chan SW, He J, Lin G, Rudd JA and Yamamoto K (2007), Action of GLP-1 (7-36) amide and exendin-4 on Suncus murinus (house musk shrew) isolated ileum, European Journal of Pharmacology 566: 185-191.

9.	Kan KKW, Rudd JA and Wai MK (2006), Differential action of anti-emetic drugs on defecation and emesis induced by prostaglandin E₂ in the ferret, European Journal of Pharmacology 544: 153-159.

10.	Rudd JA, Ngan MP, Wai MK, King AG, Witherington J, Andrews PLR and Sanger GS (2006), Anti-emetic activity of ghrelin in ferrets exposed to the cytotoxic anti-cancer agent cisplatin, Neuroscience Letters 392: 79-83.