Penn Veterinary Medicine | University of Pennsylvania

Description of Research Expertise

Our long-term goal is to determine the cellular, neurochemical, and molecular basis of the functional plasticity of phrenic motoneurons that innervate the diaphragm. Long-term changes in motoneuron function can occur via plasticity of premotor synaptic connections. Models of synaptic plasticity often attribute changes in synaptic strength to neuromodulators - such as serotonin, the tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) receptor ligands brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), and adenosine1. Our ongoing studies support an exciting and novel model of respiratory motor plasticity that involves strengthening of spinal synaptic connections to phrenic motoneurons via spinal adenosine A2a receptor activation, that leads to long-term phrenic motor facilitation1. This may have important implications for recovery of respiratory motor function in patients with spinal cord injuries. Our present goal is to determine the cellular mechanisms contributing to adenosine A2a-induced phrenic motor facilitation.


Golder Laboratory Personnel:

Frank Golder (PI)

Sharon Martinez (Research Specialist)
Jennifer Branconi (Research Specialist)


Current Funding:

NIH NINDS R21 NS060929
PI Golder
07-01-2008 to 06-30-2010
Pharmacological strategies to improve breathing after cervical spinal
cord injury

Craig H Neilsen Foundation Research Grant
PI Golder
07-01-2008 to 06-30-2010
Adenosinergic mechanisms of respiratory motor plasticity after spinal
cord injury

Description of Clinical Expertise

In addition to his specialty training as a boarded veterinary anesthesiologist, Dr. Golder has a particular interest in the anesthetic management of laboratory animals and exotic animal species.

Selected Publications

Golder, F.J.: Receptor Tyrosine Kinases and Respiratory Motor Plasticity Respir Physiol Neurobiol Page: In Press, 2008.

Golder, F. J., Ranganathan, L., Satriomoto, I., Hoffman, M., MR, Lovett-Barr., Watters, J. J., Baker-Herman, T. L., Mitchel, G. S.: Spinal adenosine A2a receptor-activation elicits long-lasting phrenic motor facilitation J Neurosci 28: 2033-2042, 2008.

Golder, F. J., Mitchell, G. S.: Spinal synaptic enhancement with acute intermittent hypoxia improves respiratory function after chronic cervical spinal cord injury J Neurosci 25(11): 2925-32, 2005.

FJ Golder, PJ Reier, PW Davenport, RD Johnson, DC Bolser : Augmented breath phase volume and timing relationships in the anesthetized rat Neuroscience Letters 37: 89-93, 2005.

FJ Golder, RW Bavis, TL Baker-Herman, AG Zabka, DD Fuller, GS Mitchell : Differences in time-dependent hypoxic phrenic responses between rat strains J Applied Physiology 98: 838-844, 2005.

TL Baker-Herman, DD Fuller, AG Zabka, FJ Golder, RW Bavis, RA Johnson, NJ Doperalski, JJ Waters, GS Mitchell : Intermittent hypoxia regulates ventral spinal BDNF by a serotonin-dependent mechanism: role in respiratory plasticity Nature Neuroscience 7(1): 48-55, 2004.

FJ Golder, DD Fuller, PJ Reier, PW Davenport, RD Johnson, DC Bolser : Respiratory motor recovery after unilateral spinal cord injury: eliminating crossed phrenic pathways decreases tidal volume and induces contralateral respiratory motor plasticity J Neuroscience 23(6): 2494-2501, 2003.

FJ Golder, PJ Reier, PW Davenport, DC Bolser : Cervical spinal cord injury alters the pattern of breathing in anesthetized rats J Applied Physiology 91: 2451-2458, 2001.

Golder, F. J., Reier, P. J., Bolser, D. C.: Altered respiratory motor drive after spinal cord injury: supraspinal and bilateral effects of a unilateral lesion J Neurosci 21(21): 8680-9, 2001.

Golder, F.J., and Martinez, S.D.: Bilateral vagotomy differentially alters hypoglossal and phrenic long-term facilitation in anesthetized mechanically ventilated rats. Neuroscience Letters In Press. .