The research in Dr. Segarra’s laboratory focuses on the interactions between sex steroids and glucocorticoids in modulating motivation, such as addictive behavior. The long-term goal of the laboratory is to elucidate the mechanisms by which alterations in brain neurochemistry and/or synaptic connectivity result in dysfunctional motivational and reward circuitry. Since many of these motivated behaviors are sexually dimorphic, the experiments focus on the developmental window when this dimorphism is established, and the factors involved. Current research efforts are concentrated in studying the interactions between sex steroids, housing conditions, and exercise in modulating the behavioral response to cocaine. Researchers in her lab have found that rearing young rats in isolation increases anxiety and their behavioral response to drugs of abuse.  We are currently exploring if exercise can mitigate these effects. By studying the interaction between limbic brain neurochemistry and sex steroids in normal and aberrant motivated behaviors, the laboratory can obtain physiologically relevant information that may contribute to elucidate the mechanisms involved in many psychiatric disorders and identify gender bias. A better understanding of the factors that lead to differential sensitivity to drugs of abuse is crucial for the development of pharmacotherapy that is equally effective in males and females.

Masters

Wilfredo López-Ojeda, M.S. 1996

Jocelyn Montalvo, M.S. 1997

Doctor of Philosophy

Carlos Rivero, Ph.D. 2022

Jaime Freire Arvelo, Ph.D. 2021

Enrique Pérez Cardona, Ph.D. 2020

Raissa Menéndez Delmestre, Ph.D. 2011

Natasha Lugo Escobar, Ph.D. 2010

Anabel Puig Ramos, Ph.D. 2010

Marcelo Febo, Ph.D. 2002

Carlos Mejías Aponte, Ph.D. 2002

Postdoctoral fellows

Joyce Vélez, PhD, Tech Support Scientist, Agilent Technologies, San Diego, CA

José Agosto-Rivera, Associate Professor, Biology, UPR Rio Piedras, PR

• Novoa J, Rivero CJ, Pérez-Cardona EU, Freire-Arvelo JA, Zeger J, Yarur HE, Santiago-Marrero, IG, Agosto-Rivera, JL, González-Pérez, JL, Gysling K and AC Segarra. Social isolation of adolescent male rats increases anxiety and K⁺-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens: Role of CRF-R1. Eur Journal of Neuroscience (2021): 54:4888-4905.
•  López OV, Gorantla S, Segarra AC, Andino Norat MC, Álvarez M, Skolasky RL, Meléndez LM.  Sigma-1 Receptor Antagonist (BD1047) Decreases Cathepsin B Secretion in HIV-Infected Macrophages Exposed to Cocaine. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2019 Jun;14(2):226-240. doi: 10.1007/s11481-018-9807-4.
• Zenón F, Jorge I, Cruz A, Suárez E, Segarra AC, Vázquez J, Meléndez LM, Serrano H.  2016. 18O proteomics reveal increased human apolipoprotein CIII in Hispanic HIV-1+ women with HAART that use cocaine.  Proteomics Clin Appl. 2016 Feb;10(2):144-55.
• Mosquera L, Shepherd L, Torrado AI, Torres-Diaz YM, Miranda JD, Segarra AC  2015. Comparison of Two Methods of Estradiol Replacement: their Physiological and Behavioral Outcomes.  J Vet Sci Technol. Nov 30; 6(6):276.
• Ferchmin PA, Andino M, Reyes Salaman R, Alves J, Velez-Roman J, Cuadrado B, Carrasco M, Torres-Rivera W, Segarra A, Martins AH, Lee JE, Eterovic VA.  2014. 4R-cembranoid protects against diisopropylfluorophosphate-mediated neurodegeneration. Neurotoxicology. 44:80-90. PMID: 24928201
• Zenón F, Segarra AC, Gonzalez M, Meléndez LM. 2014. Cocaine potentiates cathepsin B secretion and neuronal apoptosis from HIV-infected macrophages. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 9(5):703-15. PMID: 25209871
• Mosquera L, Colón JM, Santiago JM, Torrado AI, Meléndez M, Segarra AC, Rodríguez-Orengo JF, Miranda JD. 2014. Tamoxifen and estradiol improved locomotor function and increased spared tissue in rats after spinal cord injury: their antioxidant effect and role of estrogen receptor alpha. Brain Res.1561:11-22.PMID: 24637260
• Segarra AC, Torres-Díaz YM, Silva RD, Puig-Ramos A, Menéndez-Delmestre R, Rivera-Bermúdez JG, Amadeo W, Agosto-Rivera JL. 2014. Estrogen receptors mediate estradiol’s effect on sensitization and CPP to cocaine in female rats: role of contextual cues. Horm Behav. 65(2):77-87. PMID: 24355096
• Menéndez-Delmestre R, Segarra AC. 2011, Testosterone is essential for cocaine sensitization in male rats. Physiol Behav 102(1):96-104. PMID: 20932851
• Febo M, Segarra AC, Stolberg TL, Ferris CF. 2011. BOLD signal response to cocaine varies with sexual receptivity in female rats. Neuroreport. 2011 Jan 5;22(1):19-22. PMID: 21048520
• Segarra,AC, Agosto-Rivera,JL, Febo,M, Lugo-Escobar,N, Menendez-Delmestre,R, Puig-Ramos,A. and YM Torres-Diaz  2010. Estradiol: A key biological substrate mediating the response to cocaine in female rats. In press – Horm Behav 58(1):33-43. PMID: 20026119
• Puig-Ramos, A, Santiago, GS and AC Segarra  2008.  U-59693, a kappa opioid receptor agonist, blocks cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization in female rats.  Behav. Neurosci. 122(1): 151-160. PMID: 18298258.
• Cruz-Orengo, L., Figueroa, JD, Velazquez, I. Torrado, A, Ortiz, C, Hernandez, C, Puig, A, Segarra, AC, Whittemore, SR and JD Miranda 2006. Blocking EphA4 upregulation after spinal cord injury results in enhanced chronic pain. Exp. Neurol. 202(2): 421-433. PMID: 16959251
• Febo, M, AC Segarra G Nair, K Schmidt, TQ Duong and CF Ferris 2005. The Neural Consequences of Repeated Cocaine Exposure Revealed By Functional MRI in Awake Rats. Neuropsychopharmacol. 30(5):936-943. PMID: 15637636
• Febo, M, CF Ferris, and AC Segarra. 2005. Estrogen influences cocaine-induced blood oxygen level-dependent signal changes in female rats. J Neurosci. 25(5):1132-1136. PMID: 15689549
• Febo, M, AC Segarra, JR Tenney, MA Brevard, TQ Duong and CF Ferris 2004. Imaging cocaine-induced changes in the mesolimbic dopaminergic system of conscious rats. J. Neurosci. Methods 139(2): 167-176. PMID: 15488229
• Febo, M. and AC Segarra. 2004. Cocaine alters GABA B-mediated G-protein activation in the ventral tegmental area of female rats: Modulation by estrogen. Synapse 54:30-36. PMID: 15300882
• Segarra, AC and SJ Lee 2004. Neuroprotective effects of estrogen. In: Principles of Gender-Specific Medicine. Ed: M Legato, Ch. 11, pp 96-103; Elsevier Science, San Diego, CA.
• Febo, M, LA González-Rodriguez, DE Capó Ramos, NY González-Segarra and AC Segarra 2003. Estrogen dependent alterations in D2/D3 induced G protein activation in cocaine-sensitized female rats. J Neurochem. 86 405-412. PMID: 12871581
• Mejías, CA, CA Jiménez and AC Segarra 2002. Sex differences in models of temporal lobe epilepsy: Role of testosterone. Brain Res. 944 (1-2):210-218. PMID: 12106683
• Febo, M. CA Jiménez and AC Segarra 2002. Estrogen and opioids interact to modulate the locomotor response to cocaine. Brain Res. 943(1):151-161. PMID: 12088849
• Torres,G, V García, E Sánchez, A Segarra, BK Patterson and LM Meléndez-Guerrero 2001. Expression of the HIV-1 Coreceptors CCR5 and CXCR4 on placental macrophages and the effect of IL-10 on their expression. Placenta Vol. 22 Supp A: Trophoblast Res. Vol. 5: S29-S33.
• Segarra, AC, A Acosta, JL González, JA Angulo and BS McEwen 1998. Sex differences in estrogenic regulation of preproenkephalin mRNA levels in the POA of peripubertal rats. Mol Brain Res, 60(1): 133-139. PMID: 9748541
• Segarra, AC 1993. Prenatal Drugs: Effects on sexually dimorphic neuroanatomical and behavioral traits. In: Alcohol and the Endocrine System (Ed. S. Zakhari). National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Research Monograph – 23, Ch. 10, pp 205-222.
• Segarra, AC and BS McEwen 1992. Drug Effects on Sexual Differentiation of the Brain: Role of Stress and Hormones in Drug Actions. In: Maternal Substance Abuse and the Developing Nervous System (Eds: I.S. Zagan and T.A. Slotkin); Ch. 13 pp 323-367; Academic Press, Inc, New York.
• Segarra, AC, VN Luine and FL Strand 1991. Sexual behavior of male rats is differentially affected by timing of perinatal ACTH administration. Physiol. Behav. 50:689-697. PMID: 1663626
• McEwen, BS, H Coirini, A Danielsson, M Frankfurt, E Gould, S Mendelson, M Schumacher A Segarra and C Wooley 1991. Steroid and thyroid hormones modulate a changing brain. J. Ster. Biochem. Molec. Biol. 40:1-14. PMID: 1958513
• Segarra, AC and BS McEwen 1991. Estrogen increases spine density in ventromedial hypothalamic neurons of peripubertal rats. Neuroendocrinol. 54:365-372.
• Strand,FL, AC Segarra, LA Zuccarelli, J Kume and KJ Rose 1990. Neuropeptides as growth regulating factors. In: A Decade of Neuropeptides, Eds: G.F.Koob, C.A.Sandman and F.L.Strand NYAS, 579 pp.68-90. PMID: 2159746
• Strand,FL, KJ Rose, JA King, AC Segarra and LA Zuccarelli 1989. ACTH modulation of nerve development and regeneration. Prog. Neurobiol.33:45-85.
• Strand,FL, AC Segarra, LA Zuccarelli, J Kume and KJ Rose 1989. Neuropeptides: Fail-safe, redundant or special? In: Neuroendocrinology: New Frontiers. Eds.: D.Gupta, H.A.Wollman and M.B.Ranke. Brain Research Promotion, London.
• Segarra, AC and FL Strand 1989. Perinatal administration of nicotine alters subsequent sexual behavior and testosterone levels of male rats. Brain Res. 480:151-159. PMID: 2713649