Adjunct Research Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Contact Information
Email:Biosketch
John Spitsbergen, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He is also professor of biological sciences and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan. The long-term goal of his research is to understand the regulation of neurotrophic factor expression in target tissues of the peripheral nervous system (blood vessels, cardiac muscle and skeletal muscle) and to determine the consequences of altered neurotrophic factor expression with aging and disease.
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Education and Training
- Postdoctoral Fellowship 1996, Urology, University of Virginia
- Postdoctoral Fellowship 1993, Neuroscience, University of Virginia
- PhD 1991, Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neuroscience, Michigan State University
- MS 1986, Interdisciplinary Biology, Michigan State University
- BS 1983, Biology, Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University
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Research
- Neural plasticity
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Publications
Roth E.A., Spitsbergen J.M., Cintrón-Colón A.F. The Neurochemistry of Instrumental Improvisation in Adults: A Feasibility and Pilot Study Advances in Cognitive Psychology. 2023;19:1-10.
Cintron-Colon A., Almeida-Alves G., Vangyseghem J., Spitsbergen J. GDNF to the rescue: GDNF delivery effects on motor neurons and nerves, and muscle re-innervation after peripheral nerve injuries Neural Regeneration Research. 2022;17(4):748-753.
Sungura R., Shirima G., Spitsbergen J., Mpolya E., Vianney J.M. A case-control study on the driving factors of childhood brain volume loss: What pediatricians must explore PLoS ONE. 2022;17(12 December)
Tolsma R., Pan H., Harris L., Spitsbergen J.M., Li Y. Hypoxia-induced reprogrammed myoblasts enhance the formation of neuromuscular junctions: A pioneer study Journal of Cellular Biochemistry. 2022;123:2057-2065.
Cintrón-Colón A.F., Almeida-Alves G., Boynton A.M., Spitsbergen J.M. GDNF synthesis, signaling, and retrograde transport in motor neurons Cell and Tissue Research. 2020;382(1):47-56.
Sungura R., Mpolya E., Spitsbergen J.M., Onyambu C., Sauli E., Vianney J.M. Novel multi-linear quantitative brain volume formula for manual radiological evaluation of brain atrophy European Journal of Radiology Open. 2020;7
Sungura R.E., Spitsbergen J.M., Mpolya E.A., Sauli E., Vianney J.M. The neuroimaging magnitude of pediatric brain atrophy in Northern Tanzania Pan African Medical Journal. 2020;36:1-11.
Keeler J., Roth E.A., Neuser B.L., Spitsbergen J.M., Waters D.J.M., Vianney J.M. The neurochemistry and social flow of singing: Bonding and oxytocin Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2015;9(September)
Gyorkos A., McCullough M., Spitsbergen J. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) expression and NMJ plasticity in skeletal muscle following endurance exercise Neuroscience. 2014;257:111-118.
Vianney J.M., Miller D.A., Spitsbergen J.M. Effects of acetylcholine and electrical stimulation on glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor production in skeletal muscle cells Brain Research. 2014;1588:47-54.
McCullough M., Gyorkos A., Spitsbergen J. Short-term exercise increases GDNF protein levels in the spinal cord of young and old rats Neuroscience. 2013;240:258-268.
Vianney J.M., Mccullough M.J., Gyorkos A.M., Spitsbergen J.M. Exercise-dependent regulation of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) expression in skeletal muscle and its importance for the neuromuscular system Frontiers in Biology. 2013;8(1):101-108.
Wehrwein E., Novotny M., Swain G., Parker L., Esfahanian M., Spitsbergen J., Habecker B., Kreulen D. Regional changes in cardiac and stellate ganglion norepinephrine transporter in DOCA-salt hypertension Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical. 2013;179(1-2):99-107.
McCullough M., Peplinski N., Kinnell K., Spitsbergen J. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor protein content in rat skeletal muscle is altered by increased physical activity in vivo and in vitro Neuroscience. 2011;174:234-244.
Vianney J., Spitsbergen J. Cholinergic neurons regulate secretion of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor by skeletal muscle cells in culture Brain Research. 2011;1390:1-9.
Wehrwein E., Parker L., Wright A., Spitsbergen J., Novotny M., Babankova D., Swain G., Habecker B., Kreulen D. Cardiac norepinephrine transporter protein expression is inversely correlated to chamber norepinephrine content American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 2008;295(3)
Gurley G.H., Jelaso A.M., Ide C.F., Spitsbergen J.M. Effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on expression of neurotrophic factors in C6 glial cells in culture NeuroToxicology. 2007;28(6):1264-1271.
Wehrwein E., Roskelley E., Spitsbergen J. GDNF is regulated in an activity-dependent manner in rat skeletal muscle Muscle and Nerve. 2002;26(2):206-211.
Dupont M., Spitsbergen J., Kim K., Tuttle J., Steers W. Histological and neurotrophic changes triggered by varying models of bladder inflammation Journal of Urology. 2001;166(3):1111-1118.
Hall K.E., Sheng H.C., Srinivasan S., Spitsbergen J.M., Tuttle J.B., Steers W.D., Wiley J.W. Treatment of aged rat sensory neurons in short-term, serum-free culture with nerve growth factor reverses the effect of aging on neurite outgrowth, calcium currents, and neuronal survival Brain Research. 2001;888(1):128-137.
Clemow D., Spitsbergen J., McCarty R., Steers W., Tuttle J. Altered NGF regulation may link a genetic predisposition for hypertension with hyperactive voiding Journal of Urology. 1999;161(4):1372-1377.
Clemow D., Spitsbergen J., McCarty R., Steers W., Tuttle J. Arterial nerve growth factor (NGF) mRNA, protein, and vascular smooth muscle cell NGF secretion in hypertensive and hyperactive rats Experimental Cell Research. 1998;244(1):196-205.
Persson K., Pandita R.K., Spitsbergen J.M., Steers W.D., Tuttle J.B., Andersson K.E. Spinal and peripheral mechanisms contributing to hyperactive voiding in spontaneously hypertensive rats American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 1998;275(4 44-4)
Spitsbergen J., Clemow D., McCarty R., Steers W., Tuttle J. Neurally mediated hyperactive voiding in spontaneously hypertensive rats Brain Research. 1998;790(1-2):151-159.
Sherer T., Spitsbergen J., Steers W., Tuttle J. Thrombin regulates nerve growth factor secretion from vascular, but not bladder smooth muscle cells Cell and Tissue Research. 1997;289(1):155-161.
Dupont M.C., Persson K., Spitsbergen J., Tuttle J.B., Steers W.D. The neuronal response to bladder outlet obstruction, a role for NGF Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 1995;385:41-54.
Spitsbergen J.M., Atchison W.D. The paralytic agent 2,4-dithiobiuret decreases open time of murine skeletal muscle acetylcholine receptor channels Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 1995;272(2):645-651.
Spitsbergen J.M., Stewart J.S., Tuttle J.B. Altered regulation of nerve growth factor secretion by cultured VSMCs from hypertensive rats American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 1995;269(2 38-2)
Tuttle J.B., Spitsbergen J.M., Stewart J.S., McCarty R.M., Steers W.D. ALTERED SIGNALLING IN VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE FROM SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS MAY LINK MEDIAL HYPERTROPHY, VESSEL HYPERINNERVATION AND ELEVATED NERVE GROWTH FACTOR Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology. 1995;22:S117-S119.
Tuttle J.B., Stewart J.S., Spitsbergen J.M., McCarty R.M. NERVE GROWTH FACTOR, VESSEL INNERVATION AND HYPERTENSIVE PROGRESSION IN THE INBRED DAHL SS/Jr AND SR/Jr RATS Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology. 1995;22:S23-S25.
Spitsbergen J., Tuttle J. Muscle membrane preparation restores sensitivity to acetylcholine in cultured chick ciliary ganglion neurons Brain Research. 1993;615(1):128-134.
Spitsbergen J.M., Atchison W.D. Voltage clamp analysis reveals multiple populations of quanta released at neuromuscular junctions of rats treated with 2,4-dithiobiuret Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 1991;256(1):159-163.
Spitsbergen J.M., Atchison W.D. Acute alterations in murine neuromuscular transmission following exposure to a nonparalytic dose of dithiobiuret Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 1990;102(1):68-79.
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Presentations
- The Effects of Sedentary Aging and Exercise on Endplate Area and Morphology in Female Rats. VanGyseghem J, Spitsbergen J, 41st Annual Kalamazoo Community Medical and Health Sciences Research Day, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 05/2023