Janusz B. Suszkiw

Janusz Suszkiw, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at the University of Cincinnati Medical School, Cincinnati, OH, received his B.S. in Chemistry  in 1966, and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 1969  from the George Washington University, Washington, D.C.  Following postdoctoral training in receptor neurobiology at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, he conducted research in developmental neurobiology of cholinergic systems at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, cholinergic synaptic neurochemistry at the Max Planck Institute, Goettingen, Germany, and electrophysiology of septo-hippocampal neurons at the Neurophysiology Laboratory, NINDS/NIH.  Since joining the Physiology department at  the University of Cincinnati Medical School in 1981, Dr. Suszkiw engaged in molecular, neurochemical, and behavioral studies of developmental neurotoxicity of inorganic lead exposure. His current research interests focus on the interactions between  environmental agents and endogenous mechanisms involved in microglial inflammatory response and neuroprotective functions of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in aging-related neurodegenerative disorders. 

Bachelor's Degree: George Washington Univ. Washington, DC, 1966 (Chemistry)

Masters Degree: George Washington Univ Washington, DC, 1968 (Biochemistry)

Doctoral Degree: George Washington Univ. Washington, DC, 1969 (Biochemistry)

NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship: Cornell University Ithaca, NY, 1972 ( Neurobiology )

Synaptic transmission: Ca channels, mechanism and regulation of transmitter release: synaptic toxicity of heavy metals.

Cholinergic neurochemistry/neuropharmachology.

Effects of environmental lead exposure on development and function of the septohippocampal system; morphological, molecular neurochemical, and behavioral parameters. 

Neurodegenerative diseases  and neuroprotective strategies. 

1973-1974 University of Connecticut Research Foundation Grant. Cholinergic Transmission. Suszkiw JB, Principal Investigator

1975-1978 NIH RO1NS10338. Ganglionic Transmission. Pilar G, Principal Investigator; Suszkiw JB, Co-Investigator.

1975-1980 Cell Biology Training Grant. Biological Sciences University of Connecticut. Suszkiw JB, Member.

1979 NSF BNS7913951. Mechanism of Vesicular ACh Storage and Release. Suszkiw JB, Principal Invesigator. Declined in favor of NIH NS15674.

1978-1981 NI NS15674. Mechanism of Cholinergic Transmission. Suszkiw JB, Principal Investigator.

1981-1984 NIH RO1NS17968. Synaptic Transmission: Calcium- Heavy Metal Interactions. Cooper G, Principal Investigator; Suszkiw JB, Co-Investigator.

1984-1993 NIH HL07571. Smooth and Cardiac Muscle Biology Training Grant. Univ. of Cincinnati Dept. of Physiology. Suszkiw JB, Member.

1984-1987 NIH RO1NS20786. Presynaptic Calcium Channels and Transmitter Release. Suszkiw JB, Principl Investigator

1986-1988 NSF BNS8606918. Biochemistry of Transmitter Release. Suszkiw JB, Principal Investigator.

1987 NSF Instrumentation Grant Award. Univ. of Cincinnati Physiology. Solaro J, Principal Investigator; Suszkiw JB, Co-investigator.

1986-1989 NIH RO1ES004090. Subcellular Mechanisms of Lead Neurotoxicity. Suszkiw JB, Principal Investigator.

1990-1991 University of Cincinnati Research Council Award. Neurobiology of Septo-Hippocampal Neurons in Culture. Suszkiw JB, Principal Investigator.

1991-2000 NIH RO1ES004090 Calcium-Surrogate Actions of Lead Ions in Secretion. Suszkiw JB, Principal Investigator.

1993-2001 NIH RO1ES006365. Mechansims of Developmental Lead Neurotoxicity. Suszkiw JB, Principal Invesigator.

1998-2003 NIH 5RO1ES009516. Transmitter-specific Genes as Targets in Lead Toxicity. Suszkiw JB, Principal Investigator.

2003-2004 Univ. of Cincinnati COM Dean's Discovery Fund. Migroglia-Targeted Therapeutic Approaches to Neurodegenerative disorders. Suszkiw JB, Principal Investigator.

2004-2006 Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinon's Disease. Anti-inflammatory Effects of Nicotine in Parkinson's disease. Suszkiw JB, Principal Investigator.

Investigators:Suszkiw, Janusz 02-01-2004 -01-31-2006 Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Nicotine in Parkinson's Disease Role:PI $245,502.00 Closed Level:Private Non-Profit

Grant: #5-R01-ES-04090-11-A0-S0-E0 Investigators:Suszkiw, Janusz 07-01-1994 -06-30-2000 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Calcium Surrogate Actions of Lead Ions in Secretion Role:PI $1,006,960.00 Closed Level:Federal

Grant: #5-R01-ES-06365-07-A0-S0-E0 Investigators:Suszkiw, Janusz 08-01-1996 -07-31-2001 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Mechanisms of Developmental Lead Neurotoxicity Role:PI $1,036,081.00 Closed Level:Federal

Grant: #5-R01-ES-09516-03-A0-S0-E0 Investigators:Suszkiw, Janusz 09-01-1998 -08-31-2003 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Transmitter-Specific Genes as Targets in Lead Toxicity Role:PI $645,590.00 Closed Level:Federal

Peer Reviewed Publications

HEALY, J K; SUSZKIW, J B; SCHREINER, G E (1965. ) EFFECT OF ANGIOTENSIN 11 ON BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVEL IN THE DOG. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (New York, N.Y.), , 119 ,734-6

Healy, J K; Suszkiw, J B; Dennis, V W; Schreiner, G E (1966. ) Effect of aldosterone and salt intake on renal and pressor actions of angiotensin. Nephron, , 3 (6 ) ,329-43

Brecher, A S; Pugatch, R D; König, M; Wasilauskas, V P; Suszkiw, J B; Sobel, R E (1969. ) The hydrolytic activity in normal human and malignant tissue. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (New York, N.Y.), , 131 (3 ) ,828-31

Brecher, A S; Suszkiw, J B (1969. ) Brain arylamidase. Purfication and characterization of the soluble bovine enzyme. The Biochemical journal, , 112 (3 ) ,335-42

Oliphant, B B; Suszkiw, J B; Brecher, A S (1970. ) The distribution of a particulate trypsin inhibitor in brain. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (New York, N.Y.), , 135 (3 ) ,754-6

Suszkiw, J B; Brecher, A S (1970. ) Brain aminoacyl arylamidase. Further purification of the soluble bovine enzyme and studies on substrate specificity and possible active-site residues. Biochemistry, , 9 (20 ) ,4008-17

Suszkiw, J B; Brecher, A S (1971. ) A kinetic approach to the residues involved in brain aminoacyl arylamidase activity. Archives internationales de physiologie et de biochimie, , 79 (5 ) ,967-79

Suszkiw, J B (1971. ) Determination of normality of acetylcholinesterase. Analytical biochemistry, , 44 (1 ) ,321-4

Suszkiw, J B (1973. ) Concerning the rate limiting step in the hydrolysis of substituted phenyl acetates by acetylcholinesterase. Biochemical and biophysical research communications, , 54 (1 ) ,417-25

Suszkiw, J B (1973. ) Quantitation of acetylcholinesterase and acetylcholine-binding sites in excitable membrane fragments from electric eel. Biochimica et biophysica acta, , 318 (1 ) ,69-77

Suszkiw, J B (1973. ) Interaction of selected cholinergic effector molecules with acetylcholinesterase in physiological eel Ringer's solution. Molecular pharmacology, , 9 (4 ) ,561-70

Suszkiw, J B (1976. ) Acetylcholine translocation in synaptic vesicle ghosts in vitro. Journal of neurochemistry, , 27 (4 ) ,853-7

Suszkiw, J B; Pilar, G (1976. ) Selective localization of a high affinity choline uptake system and its role in ACh formation in cholinergic nerve terminals. Journal of neurochemistry, , 26 (6 ) ,1133-8

Suszkiw, J B; Beach, R L; Pilar, G R (1976. ) Choline uptake by cholinergic neuron cell somas. Journal of neurochemistry, , 26 (6 ) ,1123-31

Suszkiw, J B; Ichiki, M (1976. ) Fluorescein conjugated alpha-bungarotoxin: its properties and interaction with acetylcholine receptors. Analytical biochemistry, , 73 (1 ) ,109-14

Suszkiw, J B; Zimmermann, H; Whittaker, V P (1978. ) Vesicular storage and release of acetylcholine in Torpedo electroplaque synapses. Journal of neurochemistry, , 30 (6 ) ,1269-80

Suszkiw, J B; Whittaker, V P (1979. ) Role of vesicle recycling in vesicular storage and release of acetylcholine in Torpedo electroplaque synapses.Progress in brain research, , 49 ,153-62 More Information

Tuttle, J B; Suszkiw, J B; Ard, M (1980. ) Long-term survival and development of dissociated parasympathetic neurons in culture. Brain research, , 183 (1 ) ,161-80

Suszkiw, J B (1980. ) Kinetics of acetylcholine recovery in Torpedo electromotor synapses depleted of synaptic vesicles. Neuroscience, , 5 (7 ) ,1341-9

Suszkiw, J B; O'Leary, M E (1982. ) Differential labeling of depot and active acetylcholine pools in nondepolarized and potassium-depolarized rat brain synaptosomes. Journal of neurochemistry, , 38 (6 ) ,1668-75

Suszkiw, J B; O'Leary, M E (1983. ) Temporal characteristics of potassium-stimulated acetylcholine release and inactivation of calcium influx in rat brain synaptosomes. Journal of neurochemistry, , 41 (3 ) ,868-73

O'Leary, M E; Suszkiw, J B (1983. ) Effect of colchicine on 45Ca and choline uptake, and acetylcholine release in rat brain synaptosomes. Journal of neurochemistry, , 40 (4 ) ,1192-5

Cooper, G P; Suszkiw, J B; Manalis, R S (1984. ) Heavy metals: effects on synaptic transmission. Neurotoxicology, , 5 (3 ) ,247-66

Suszkiw, J B; Toth, G (1986. ) Storage and release of acetylcholine in rat cortical synaptosomes: effects of D,L-2-(4-phenylpiperidino)cyclohexanol (AH5183). Brain research, , 386 (1-2 ) ,371-8

Suszkiw, J B; O'Leary, M E; Murawsky, M M; Wang, T (1986. ) Presynaptic calcium channels in rat cortical synaptosomes: fast-kinetics of phasic calcium influx, channel inactivation, and relationship to nitrendipine receptors. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, , 6 (5 ) ,1349-57

Suszkiw, J B; Murawsky, M M; Fortner, R C (1987. ) Heterogeneity of presynaptic calcium channels revealed by species differences in the sensitivity of synaptosomal 45Ca entry to omega-conotoxin. Biochemical and biophysical research communications, , 145 (3 ) ,1283-6

Toth, G P; Cooper, G P; Suszkiw, J B (1987. ) Effects of divalent cations on acetylcholine release from digitonin-permeabilized rat cortical synaptosomes. Neurotoxicology, , 8 (4 ) ,507-16

Suszkiw, J B; Murawsky, M M; Shi, M (1989. ) Further characterization of phasic calcium influx in rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes: inferences regarding calcium channel type(s) in nerve endings. Journal of neurochemistry, , 52 (4 ) ,1260-9

Tomsig, J L; Suszkiw, J B (1990. ) Pb2(+)-induced secretion from bovine chromaffin cells: fura-2 as a probe for Pb2+. The American journal of physiology, , 259 (5 Pt 1 ) ,C762-8

Lomneth, R; Suszkiw, J B; DasGupta, B R (1990. ) Response of the chick ciliary ganglion-iris neuromuscular preparation to botulinum neurotoxin. Neuroscience letters, , 113 (2 ) ,211-6

Tomsig, J L; Suszkiw, J B (1991. ) Permeation of Pb2+ through calcium channels: fura-2 measurements of voltage- and dihydropyridine-sensitive Pb2+ entry in isolated bovine chromaffin cells. Biochimica et biophysica acta, , 1069 (2 ) ,197-200

Shao, Z; Suszkiw, J B (1991. ) Ca2(+)-surrogate action of Pb2+ on acetylcholine release from rat brain synaptosomes. Journal of neurochemistry, , 56 (2 ) ,568-74

Suszkiw, J B; Schaffner, A E; Barker, J L (1992. ) Electrophysiological properties of early postnatal rat septal neurons in short-term culture. Brain research, , 588 (2 ) ,246-54

Tomsig, J L; Suszkiw, J B (1993. ) Intracellular mechanism of Pb(2+)-induced norepinephrine release from bovine chromaffin cells. The American journal of physiology, , 265 (6 Pt 1 ) ,C1630-6

Sun, L R; Suszkiw, J B (1994. ) Pb2+ activates potassium currents in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. Neuroscience letters, , 182 (1 ) ,41-3

Bielarczyk, H; Tomsig, J L; Suszkiw, J B (1994. ) Perinatal low-level lead exposure and the septo-hippocampal cholinergic system: selective reduction of muscarinic receptors and cholineacetyltransferase in the rat septum. Brain research, , 643 (1-2 ) ,211-7

Sun, L R; Suszkiw, J B (1995. ) Extracellular inhibition and intracellular enhancement of Ca2+ currents by Pb2+ in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. Journal of neurophysiology, , 74 (2 ) ,574-81

Tomsig, J L; Suszkiw, J B (1995. ) Multisite interactions between Pb2+ and protein kinase C and its role in norepinephrine release from bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. Journal of neurochemistry, , 64 (6 ) ,2667-73

Tian, X; Bourjeily, N; Bielarczyk, H; Suszkiw, J B (1995. ) Reduced densities of sodium-dependent [3H] hemicholinium-3 binding sites in hippocampus of developmental rats following perinatal low-level lead exposure. Brain research. Developmental brain research, , 86 (1-2 ) ,268-74

Tian, X; Sun, X; Suszkiw, J B (1996. ) Developmental age-dependent upregulation of choline acetyltransferase and vesicular acetylcholine transporter mRNA expression in neonatal rat septum by nerve growth factor .Neuroscience letters, , 209 (2 ) ,134-6

Bielarczyk, H; Tian, X; Suszkiw, J B (1996. ) Cholinergic denervation-like changes in rat hippocampus following developmental lead exposure .Brain research, , 708 (1-2 ) ,108-15

Tomsig, J L; Suszkiw, J B (1996. ) Metal selectivity of exocytosis in alpha-toxin-permeabilized bovine chromaffin cells .Journal of Neurochemistry, , 66 (2 ) ,644-50

Bourjeily, N; Suszkiw, J B (1997. ) Developmental cholinotoxicity of lead: loss of septal cholinergic neurons and long-term changes in cholinergic innervation of the hippocampus in perinatally lead-exposed rats. Brain research, , 771 (2 ) ,319-28

Sun, X; Tian, X; Suszkiw, J B (1997. ) Reduction of vesicular acetylcholine transporter mRNA in the rat septum following lead exposure .Neuroreport, , 8 (4 ) ,891-4

Sun, X; Tian, X; Suszkiw, J B (1997. ) Reduction of choline acetyltransferase mRNA in the septum of developing rat exposed to inorganic lead .Neurotoxicology, , 18 (1 ) ,201-7

Narahashi, T; Treistman, S N; Suszkiw, J B; Miletic, V; Atchison, W D (1998. ) Symposium overview: chemical modulation of neuroreceptors and channels via intracellular components. Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology, , 45 (1 ) ,9-25

Sun, X; Tian, X; Tomsig, J L; Suszkiw, J B (1999. ) Analysis of differential effects of Pb2+ on protein kinase C isozymes .Toxicology and applied pharmacology, , 156 (1 ) ,40-5

Tian, X; Sun, X; Suszkiw, J B (2000. ) Upregulation of tyrosine hydroxylase and downregulation of choline acetyltransferase in lead-exposed PC12 cells: the role of PKC activation .Toxicology and applied pharmacology, , 167 (3 ) ,246-52

Zhou, M; Tian, X; Suszkiw, J B (2000. ) Developmental stage-dependent protective effect of NGF against lead cholinotoxicity in the rat septum .Brain research, , 866 (1-2 ) ,268-73

Suszkiw, Janusz B (2004. ) Presynaptic disruption of transmitter release by lead .Neurotoxicology, , 25 (4 ) ,599-604

Zhou, Mingfu; Suszkiw, Janusz B (2004. ) Nicotine attenuates spatial learning deficits induced in the rat by perinatal lead exposure .Brain research, , 999 (1 ) ,142-7

Jankowska-Kulawy, Agnieszka; Gul-Hinc, Sylwia; Bielarczyk, Hanna; Suszkiw, Janusz B; Pawelczyk, Tadeusz; Dys, Aleksandra; Szutowicz, Andrzej (2008. ) Effects of lead on cholinergic SN56 neuroblastoma cells .Acta neurobiologiae experimentalis, , 68 (4 ) ,453-62

2006 Fulbright Research Scholar to Poland: Mechanisms of Neurotoxicity, Neurodegeneration, and Brain Repair.

(Special Masters Program in Physiology. Director of Admissions )

(Distance Learning Committee )

Alzheimer’s Association Reviewer 2007 -2009

National Institutes of Health ( IAR, Challenge Grant Panel 12 1AR ZRG1 ETTN-A ) Reviewer

Synaptic Transmission,Neurodevelopment,Cell /molecular Neurobiology,Developmental Neurotoxicology,Aging-related Neurodegenerative Diseases

26-MCP-847 GRAD PHYSIOLOGY V Neurophysiology

26-MCP-848 SPECIAL TOPICS PHYS Level:Graduate

26-MCP-951 MOLECULAR PHYS I