HITOSHI KITA, Ph.D.

Professor

Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology

The University of Tennessee College of Medicine

Address

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

855 Monroe Avenue, Suite 515

Memphis, TN 38163

Tel: (901) 448-5234; Fax: (901) 448-7193;

Lab: 516 Wittenborg Anatomy Building

Education

Ph.D. Institution: Kyushu University, Department of Physiology

Postdoctoral: Kyushu University, Department of Physiology

Research Interests

The study in my laboratory is to obtain precise descriptions of the function of the basal ganglia, including the neostriatum (STR), the subthalamic nucleus (STH), the substantia nigra (SN), and the globus pallidus (GP). Questions of interest are: 1) What are the membrane properties of STR, STH, SN and GP neurons? 2) What is the mode of action of STH inputs to GP and SN, and what are the neurotransmitters of these inputs? 3) What is the mode of action of GP inputs to STH and SN, and what neurotransmitter is involved? 4) What is the mode of action of SN inputs to STH and the neurotransmitter? 5) What are the morphological features of STH, GP and SN neurons, STH efferents to GP and SN, and GP and SN efferents to STH?

The physiological questions are addressed using intracellular recordings and neuropharmacological manipulations in both in vivo and in vitro slice preparations. The anatomical questions are addressed with light and electron microscope analysis of intracellularly labeled neurons, immunohistochemistry of neurotransmitter containing neurons and terminals, and the use of neurotracers to identify nerve elements.

Recent Publications

• Barraza D, Kita H, Wilson CJ. Slow Spike Frequency Adaptation in Neurons of the Rat Subthalamic Nucleus. J Neurophysiol. 2009 Oct 21; [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19846619
• Watanabe K, Kita T, Kita H. Presynaptic actions of D2-like receptors in the rat cortico-striato-globus pallidus disynaptic connection in vitro. J Neurophysiol. 2009 Feb;101(2):665-71. Epub 2008 Dec 10. PMID: 19073810
• Hashimoto K, Kita H. Serotonin activates presynaptic and postsynaptic receptors in rat globus pallidus. J Neurophysiol. 2008 Apr;99(4):1723-32. Epub 2008 Jan 30. PMID: 18234984
• Tachibana Y, Kita H, Chiken S, Takada M, Nambu A. Motor cortical control of internal pallidal activity through glutamatergic and GABAergic inputs in awake monkeys. Eur J Neurosci. 2008 Jan;27(1):238-53. Epub 2007 Dec 17. PMID: 18093168
• Kita H. Globus pallidus external segment. Prog Brain Res. 2007;160:111-33. Review. PMID: 17499111
• Kaneda K, Kita T, Kita H. Repetitive activation of glutamatergic inputs evokes a long-lasting excitation in rat globus pallidus neurons in vitro. J Neurophysiol. 2007 Jan;97(1):121-33. PMID: 17228082

view complete list of references (pubmed link)