Talani Giuseppe
Research scientist
Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato
S.S. 554, Km 4,5
09042 Monserrato (CA)
Tel 070-6754200
Fax 070-6754320
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Stress, drug of abuse and sinaptic plasticity
Research summary
The main goal of my research activity is to study the plastic changes of both excitatory and inhibitory synapses in different brain regions 
(hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, nucleus accumbens) as an adaptive response in particular physio-pathological states of acute and chronic stress in animal models. A special interest is aimed to the study of effects of ethanol addiction and its subsequent withdrawal on changes in synaptic plasticity.
For years the main
line of our research has been actively focused in Neurobiology and Neuropharmacology studies, with particular regard to the evaluation of the function of central GABAergic inhibitory synapses as a crucial target for the action of major classes of anxiolytic, hypnotic, and general anesthetic drugs as well as drugs of abuse such as ethanol. We also studied the functional changes of the GABAergic system in the rat during pregnancy and after delivery as well as after particular stressors events such as social isolation in adolescent or maternal separation in perinatal age
Representative publications
Talani G, Licheri V, Biggio F, Locci V, Mostallino MC, Secci PP, Melis V, Dazzi L, Carta G, Banni S, Biggio G, Sanna E., Enhanced Glutamatergic Synaptic Plasticity in the Hippocampal CA1 Field of Food-Restricted Rats: Involvement of CB1 Receptors. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2016 Apr;41(5):1308-18.
Talani G, Lovinger DM., Interactions between ethanol and the endocannabinoid system at GABAergic synapses on basolateral amygdala principal neurons. Alcohol. 2015 Dec;49(8):781-94.
Spiga S, Talani G, Mulas G, Licheri V, Fois GR, Muggironi G, Masala N, Cannizzaro C, Biggio G, Sanna E, Diana M., Hampered long-term depression and thin spine loss in the nucleus accumbens of ethanol-dependent rats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Sep 2;111(35):E3745-54.
Brigman JL, Wright T, Talani G, Prasad-Mulcare S, Jinde S, Seabold GK, Mathur P, Davis MI, Bock R, Gustin RM, Colbran RJ, Alvarez VA, Nakazawa K, Delpire E, Lovinger DM, Holmes A., Loss of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors in CA1 hippocampus and cortex impairs long-term depression, reduces dendritic spine density, and disrupts learning. J Neurosci. 2010 Mar 31;30(13):4590-600
Sanna E, Talani G, Busonero F, Pisu MG, Purdy RH, Serra M, Biggio G., Brain steroidogenesis mediates ethanol modulation of GABAA receptor activity in rat hippocampus. J Neurosci. 2004 Jul 21;24(29):6521-30
Sanna E, Mostallino MC, Busonero F, Talani G, Tranquilli S, Mameli M, Spiga S, Follesa P, Biggio G., Changes in GABA(A) receptor gene expression associated with selective alterations in receptor function and pharmacology after ethanol withdrawal. J Neurosci. 2003 Dec 17;23(37):11711-24.