Roberta Imperatore

Roberta Imperatore is a Researcher at the Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, Benevento, Italy. She received her Master Degree in Biological Sciences Cum Laude at the University of Naples Federico II. She obtained her Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2012 at the University of Verona, Italy, with a thesis on Endocannabinoid-controlled modulation of orexinergic neurons in obesity: switch from excitatory to inhibitory wiring. She has always worked in collaboration with Laboratory of Neuroanatomy of the C.N.R. - Institute of Biomolecolar Chemistry - Pozzuoli (Na), where she performed her post-doctoral.

During Dr. Imperatore’s training she developed a keen focus on research that encompasses the immunohistological study of neuronal circuits which regulate appetite, pain and central and peripheral inflammatory processes, with enphasys on the Identification of the interaction between the Endocannabinoid and Orexinergic system in the hypothalamic regulation of these physiological processes.

From 2016 to date Dr. Imperatore held a Research fellow at the University of Sannio in collaboration with Laboratory of Neuroanatomy of the C.N.R. - Institute of Biomolecolar Chemistry - Pozzuoli (Na) for a comparative study of orexinergic and endocannabinoid system structural and functional interaction in zebrafish and mouse with the following tasks: Bioimaging techniques for the analysis of in vitro and in vivo cellular activity, Calcium imaging, Live-cell imaging and tracking molecular receptor, Optical Microscopy, Immunocytochemistry, Immunohistochemistry, Neuropharmacology, High resolution electron microscopy study.

PUBLICATIONS

TRPV1-dependent and -independent alterations in the limbic cortex of neuropathic mice: impact on glial caspases and pain perception. Cerebral Cortex. Nov, 2012. Pubmed ID: 22139792

Neural precursor cells induce cell death of high-grade astrocytomas through stimulation of TRPV1. Nature Medicine. Aug, 2012. Pubmed ID: 22820645

A re-evaluation of 9-HODE activity at TRPV1 channels in comparison with anandamide: enantioselectivity and effects at other TRP channels and in sensory neurons. British Journal of Pharmacology. Dec, 2012. Pubmed ID: 22861649

Obesity-driven synaptic remodeling affects endocannabinoid control of orexinergic neurons. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U S A. Jun, 2013. Pubmed ID: 23630288

The A1 adenosine receptor as a new player in microglia physiology. Glia. Jan, 2014. Pubmed ID: 24272707

The cannabinoid receptor type 2 as mediator of mesenchymal stromal cell immunosuppressive properties. PLoS One. Nov, 2013. Pubmed ID: 24312195

The dual blocker of FAAH/TRPV1 N-arachidonoylserotonin reverses the behavioral despair induced by stress in rats and modulates the HPA-axis. Pharmacological Research. May, 2014. Pubmed ID: 24861565

Imidazole-stabilized gold nanoparticles induce neuronal apoptosis: An in vitro and in vivo study. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A. Jul, 2014. Pubmed ID: 25046830

d-Aspartate oxidase influences glutamatergic system homeostasis in mammalian brain. Neurobiology of Aging. Feb, 2015. Pubmed ID: 25771393

Negative Regulation of Leptin-induced ROS Formation by CB1 Receptor Activation in hypothalamic Neurons. Journal of Biological Chemistry. Apr, 2015. Pubmed ID: 25869131

Orexin-A and Endocannabinoid Activation of the Descending Antinociceptive Pathway Underlies Altered Pain Perception in Leptin Signalling Deficiency. Neuropsychopharmacology. Jun, 2015. Pubmed ID: 26081302

Genetic deletion of monoacylglycerol lipase leads to impaired cannabinoid receptor CB1 R signaling and anxiety-like behavior. Journal of Neurochemistry. Nov, 2015. Pubmed ID: 26223500

Age-Related Changes in d-Aspartate Oxidase Promoter Methylation Control Extracellular d-Aspartate Levels and Prevent Precocious Cell Death during Brain Aging. Journal of Neuroscience. Mar, 2016. Pubmed ID: 26961959

Orexin-A represses satiety-inducing POMC neurons and contributes to obesity via stimulation of endocannabinoid signaling. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U S A. Apr, 2016. Pubmed ID: 27071101

Formation of OX-1R/CB1R heteromeric complexes in embryonic mouse hypothalamic cells: Effect on intracellular calcium, 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol biosynthesis and ERK phosphorylation. Pharmacological Research. Jul, 2016. Pubmed ID: 27436148

Freshwater Polyp Hydra vulgaris (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa). Neurochemical Research. Nov, 2016. Pubmed ID: 27450241

Pharmacological inhibition of MAGL attenuates experimental colon carcinogenesis. Pharmacological Research. May, 2017. Pubmed ID: 28193521

Palmitoylethanolamide induces microglia changes associated with increased migration and phagocytic activity: involvement of the CB2 receptor. Science Report. Mar, 2017. Pubmed ID: 28336953

Role of Orexin-A in Hypertension and Obesity. Current Hypertension Reports. Apr, 2017. Pubmed ID: 28353077

The excitatory/inhibitory input to orexin/hypocretin neuron soma undergoes day/night reorganization. Brain Structure and Function. Jul, 2017. Pubmed ID: 28669028

Techniques for the Cellular and Subcellular Localization of Endocannabinoid Receptors and Enzymes in the Mammalian Brain. Methods Enzymology. Jul, 2017. Pubmed ID: 2875081

Overlapping Distribution of Orexin and Endocannabinoid Receptors and Their Functional Interaction in the Brain of Adult Zebrafish. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy. Jul, 2018. Pubmed ID: 30104964

Evidence for leptin receptor immunoreactivity in the gastrointestinal tract and gastric leptin regulation in the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Annals of Anatomy. Nov, 2018. Pubmed ID: 30114450

Ultra-micronized palmitoylethanolamide rescues the cognitive decline-associated loss of neural plasticity in the neuropathic mouse entorhinal cortex-dentate gyrus pathway. Neurobiology of Disease. Jan, 2019. Pubmed ID: 30266286

Free d-aspartate triggers NMDA receptor-dependent cell death in primary cortical neurons and perturbs JNK activation, Tau phosphorylation, and protein SUMOylation in the cerebral cortex of mice lacking d-aspartate oxidase activity. Experimental Neurology. Jul, 2019. Pubmed ID: 30822420

Role of Orexin-B/Orexin 2 receptor in myocardial protection. Clinical Sciences (Lond). Apr, 2019. Pubmed ID: 30948623