Pharmacology of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in midbrain raphe and forebrain
5-HT and related effective disorders (such as depression, anxiety)
Dorsal and median raphe neural circuitry including afferents and interneurons
Physiology of opioidergic systerms (neurons, ligands and receptors)
Role of opioids in the regulation of 5-HT release
Relationship between exercise, 5-HT and opioid abuse
The role of GABA and glutamate in opioid addiction
Harvard Medical School, Instructor, 2002-2004,
Zhiyuan Ma, Robert E. Strecker, James T. McKenna, Mahesh M. Thakkar, Robert W. McCarley and Rui Tao. Effects of nicotine and
dimethylphenylpiperazinium on extracellular 5-HT in the dorsal raphe and nucleus accumbens of
freely behaving rats. Submitted to Neurosicence, 2004,
Tao, R., Karnik M, Ma Z, Auerbach SB. Effect of fentanyl on 5-HT efflux involves both
opioid and 5-HT1A receptors. British Journal of Pharmacology 139:1498-1504, 2003.
Tao, R., Auerbach, S.B. Influence of Inhibitory and Excitatory Inputs on Serotonin
Efflux Differs in the Dorsal and Median Raphe Nuclei. Brain Research 961:109-120, 2003.
Tao, R., Auerbach, S.B. GABAergic and glutamatergic afferents in the dorsal raphe
nucleus mediate morphine-induced increase in serotonin efflux in the rat CSN. Journal of
Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 303:704-710, 2002.
Tao, R., Auerbach, S.B. Opioid Receptor Subtypes Differentially Modulate
Serotonin Efflux inthe Rat CNS. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics,
302:549-556, 2002.
Tao, R., Fray, A., Aspley, S., Brammer, R., Heal, D., Auerbach, S. Effects on serotonin
in rat hypothalamus of d-fenfluramine, aminorex, phentermine and fluocetine. European Journal of
Pharmacology 445: 69-81, 2002.
Tao, R. and Auerbach, S.B. Regulation of serotonin release by GABA and excitatory
amino acids. Journal of Psychopharmacology 14: 100-113, 2000.
Tao, R., Ma, Z. and Auerbach, S.B. Differential effect of local infusion of
serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the raphe versus forebrain, and the role of depolarization-induced
release in increased extracellular serotonin. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental
Therapeutics 294:571-579, 2000.