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Peter Kuhn

Education and Work Experience

  • My main areas of interest are investigating the integrating areas of behavior in the hypothalamus and the effect of ethanol on those areas. My thesis project examined the effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on the development of the rat cerebral cortex.

  • After I received my Ph. D. from Rutgers University, I was employed as a postdoctoral research associate at Columbia University. I worked on developing a knockout mouse strain by mutating the gene for a neuronal intermediate protein.

  • During my second research associate, I focused my prenatal ethanol research to examine how β-endorphin cells of the rat hypothalamus respond to ethanol. I was interested in examining the biochemical mechanisms for reduced stress response exhibited by alcohol-exposed individuals. The rat β-endorphin cells exhibited an increase in apoptosis and the adult rats showed reduced number of β-endorphin cells. During this research, I associated this phenotype with a TGβ1 pathway.

  • Lastly, I worked on the biochemical changes seen in the developing rat ovary following exposure to the estrogenic compound methoxychlor (mainly used as a pesticide).

Published Papers

  1. Ellsaisser, C. F., P. E. Kuhn, and M. H. Hanna (1986). Analysis of developmentally defective chemical signaling mutants. J. Bacteriol. 165:647-649.

  2. Miller, M. W., M. A. Murtaugh, and P. E. Kuhn (1994). Developmental expression of a 56 kDa protein isolated from developing rat neocortex. Dev. Brain Res. 81:260-268.

  3. Miller, M. W., and P. E. Kuhn (1995). Cell cycle kinetics in fetal rat cerebral cortex: effects of prenatal exposure assessed by a cumulative labeling technique with flow cytometry. Alcoholism Clin. Exp. Res. 19:233-237.

  4. Kuhn, P. E., and M. W. Miller (1996). c-neu protein in developing rostral cerebral cortex: relationship to epidermal growth factor receptor. J. Comp. Neurol. 372:189-203.

  5. Miller, M. W., and P. E. Kuhn (1997). Neonatal transection of the infraorbital nerve increases the expression of proteins related to neuronal death in the principal sensory nucleus of the trigeminal nerve. Brain Res. 769:233-244.

  6. Kuhn, P. E., and M. W. Miller (1998). Expression of p53 and ALZ-50 immunoreactivity in rat cortex: effect of prenatal exposure to ethanol. Exp. Neurol. 154:418-429.

  7. Chen, C. P., Kuhn, P., Advis, J. P., Sarkar, D. K. (2004). Chronic ethanol consumption impairs the circadian rhythm of pro-opiomelanocortin and period genes mRNA expression in the hypothalamus of the male rat. J. Neurochem. 88:1547-54.

  8. Chen, C. P., Kuhn, P., Chaturvedi, K., Sarkar, D. K. (2006). Ethanol Induces Apoptotic Death of Developing β-Endorphin Neurons via Suppression of Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Production and Activation of Transforming Growth Factor-beta1-Linked Apoptotic Signaling. Mol. Pharmacol. 69:706-17.

  9. D. M. Ribnicky, P. Kuhn, A. Poulev, S. Logendra, A. Zuberi, W. T. Cefalu, and I. Raskin. Improved absorption and bioactivity of active compounds from an anti-diabetic extract of Artemisia dracunculus L. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, Vol. 370, No. 1-2, pp. 87-92, 2009.

  10. Roopchand, D. E., M. H. Grace, P. Kuhn, D. M. Cheng, N. Plundrich, A. Poulev, A. Howell, B. Fridlender, M. A. Lila, I. Raskin. Efficient sorption of polyphenols to soybean flour enables natural fortification of foods. Food Chemistry, Vol. 131, No. 4, pp.1193-1200, 2012.

  11. Rojo, L., Ribnicky, D., Logendra, S., Poulev, A., Rojas, P., Kuhn, P., Dorn, R., Grace, M., Lila, M. A., and I. Raskin. In vitro and in vivo anti-diabetic effects of anthocyanins from Maqui Berry (Aristotelia chilensis). Food Chemistry, Vol. 131, No. 2, pp. 387-396, 2012.

  12. Roopchand, D. E., P. Kuhn, A. Poulev, A. Oren, M. A. Lila, B. Fridlender and I. Raskin. Biochemical analysis and in vivo hypoglycemic activity of a grape polyphenol-soybean flour complex. J. Agric. Food Chem., Vol. 60, No. 36, pp. 8860-8865, 2012.

  13. D. M. Cheng, P. Kuhn, A. Poulev, L. E. Rojo, M. A. Lila and I. Raskin. In Vivo and In Vitro Antidiabetic Effects of Aqueous Cinnamon Extract and Cinnamon Polyphenol-Enhanced Food Matrix. Food Chemistry, Vol. 135, No. 4, pp. 2994-3002, 2012.

  14. Roopchand, D. E., P. Kuhn, L. E. Rojo, M. A. Lila, and I. Raskin. Blueberry polyphenol-enriched soybean flour reduces hyperglycemia, body weight gain and serum cholesterol in mice. Pharmacological Research, Vol. 68, No. 1, pp. 59-67, 2013.

  15. Roopchand, D. E., Kuhn, P., Krueger, C. G., Moskal, K., Lila, M. A., and I. Raskin. Concord Grape Pomace Polyphenols Complexed to Soy Protein Isolate Are Stable and Hypoglycemic in Diabetic Mice. J. Agric. Food Chem., Vol. 61, No. 47, pp. 11428-11433, 2013.

  16. D. M. Cheng, N. Pogrebnyak, P. Kuhn, C. G. Krueger, W. D. Johnson, I. Raskin. Development and Phytochemical Characterization of High Polyphenol Red Lettuce with Anti-Diabetic Properties. PLoS ONE, Vol. 9, No. 3, article e91571, 2014.

  17. D. M. Cheng, N. Pogrebnyak, P. Kuhn, A. Poulev, C. Waterman, P. Rojas-Silva, W. D. Johnson, and I. Raskin. Polyphenol-Rich Rutgers Scarlet Lettuce Improves Glucose Metabolism and Liver Lipid Accumulation in Diet Induced Obese C57BL/6 Mice. Nutrition, Vol. 30, No. 7-8, pp. S52-S58, 2014.

  18. D. M. Ribnicky, D. E. Roopchand, A. Poulev, P. Kuhn, A. Oren, W. T. Cefalu, I. Raskin. Artemisia dracunculus L. polyphenols complexed to soy protein show enhanced bioavailability and hypoglycemic activity in C57BL/6 mice. Nutrition, Vol. 30, No. 7-8, pp. S4-S10, 2014.

  19. B. L. Graf, A. Poulev, P. Kuhn, M. H. Grace, M. A. Lila, and I. Raskin. Quinoa seeds leach phytoecdysteroids and other compounds with anti-diabetic properties. Food Chemistry, Vol. 163, pp. 178-185, 2014.

  20. Nebojša Ilić, Moul Dey, Alexander Poulev, Sithes Logendra, Peter Kuhn, and Ilya Raskin. Anti-inflammatory activity of Grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta Schum) extract. J. Agric. Food Chem., Vol. 62, No. 43, pp. 10452-10457, 2014.

  21. D. E. Roopchand, R. N. Carmody, P. Kuhn, K. Moskal, P. Rojas-Silva, P. J. Turnbaugh, and I. Raskin. Dietary polyphenols promote growth of the gut bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila and attenuate high fat diet-induced metabolic syndrome. Diabetes, Vol. 64, No. 8, pp. 2847-2858, 2015.

  22. Waterman, C., Rojas-Silva, P., Tümer, T. B., Kuhn, P., Richard, A. J., Wicks, S., Stephens, J. M., Wang, Z., Mynatt, R., Cefalu, W., and I. Raskin. Isothiocyanate-rich Moringa oleifera extract reduces weight gain, insulin resistance and hepatic gluconeogenesis in mice. Mol. Nutr. Food Res., Vol. 59, No. 6, pp. 1013-1024, 2015.

  23. Anthony, T. G., Mirek, E. T., Bargoud, A. R., Phillipson-Weiner, L., DeOliveira, C. M., Graf, B. L., Kuhn, P. E., and Raskin, I. Evaluating the effect of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20HE) on mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling in the skeletal muscle and liver of rats. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, Vol. 40, No. 12, pp. 1324-1328, 2015.

  24. Cheng, D. M., Roopchand, D. E., Poulev, A., Kuhn, P., Armas-Gutierez, I., Johnson, W. D., Oren, A., Ribnicky, D., Zelzion, E., Bhattacharya, D., Raskin, I. High phenolics Rutgers Scarlet Lettuce improves glucose metabolism in high fat diet-induced obese mice. Mol. Nutr. Food Res., Vol. 60, No. 11, pp. 2367-2378, 2016.

  25. Jaja-Chimedza, A., Graf, B. L., Simmler, Ch., Kim, Y., Kuhn, P., Pauli, G. F., Raskin, I. Biochemical characterization and anti-inflammatory properties of an isothiocyanate-enriched moringa (Moringa oleifera) seed extract. PLOS One, August 8, 2017.

  26. Zhang, Li, Carmody, R. N., Kalariya, H., Duran, R., Moskal, K., Poulev, A., Kuhn, P., Tveter, K. M., Turnbaugh, P. J., Raskin, I., Roopchand, D. E. Grape proanthocyanidin-induced intestinal bloom of Akkermansia muciniphila is dependent on its baseline abundance and precedes activation of host genes related to metabolic health. J. Nutr. Biochem., Vol. 56, pp. 142-151, 2018.

  27. Graf, B. L., Li, Zh., Corradini, M. G., Kuhn, P., Newman, S. S., Salbaum, J. M., Raskin, I. Physicochemical differences between malanga (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) and potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers are associated with differential effects on the gut microbiome. Journal of Functional Foods, Vol. 45, pp. 268-276, 2018.

  28. Kuhn, P., Kalariya, H., Poulev, A., Ribnicky, D. M., Jaja-Chimedza, A., Roopchand, D. E., and Raskin, I. Grape polyphenols reduce gut-localized reactive oxygen species associated with the development of metabolic syndrome in mice. PLoS|One, published Oct. 11, 2018.

Presentations at National Meetings

  1. Miller, M. W., P. Kuhn, and R. S. Nowakowski (1990). Effect of prenatal exposure on cell kinetics and growth fraction in cortical proliferative zones of rats. Alcoholism Exp. Clin. Res. Suppl 14:319.

  2. Kuhn, P. E., and M. W. Miller (1992). Pre- and postnatal changes in the expression of proto-oncogenes during the development of rostral cerebral cortex. Abs. Soc. Neuroscience 18:1120.

  3. Kuhn, P. E., and M. W. Miller (1993). Ethanol-induced increase in the expression of a 56 kDa protein in rat cortex: Evidence that prenatal exposure to ethanol causes the postnatal death of neurons. Alcoholism Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl 17:485.

  4. Kuhn, P. E., and M. W. Miller (1993). Developmental expression of c-neu proteins in rostral cerebral cortex. Abs. Soc. Neuroscience 19:49.

  5. Miller, M. W., and P. E. Kuhn (1994). Expression of ALZ-50 and fetal tau are differently affected by prenatal exposure to ethanol. Alcoholism Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl 18.

  6. Kuhn, P. E., and M. W. Miller (1994) Relationship of c-neu oncoproteins and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) in developing rat cerebral cortex. Abs. Soc. Neuroscience 20:1668.

  7. Pitts, A. F., and P. E. Kuhn, and M. W. Miller (1994). Comparison of c-neu oncoproteins with neurotrophin receptors in the mature rat: cerebral cortex and basal forebrain. Abs. Soc. Neuroscience 20:40.

  8. De, A., S. Jain, P. Kuhn, N. Boyadjieva, D. Sarkar (2001). Effect of Binge-Like Ethanol Administration on Programmed Cell Death of Hypothalamic β-Endorphin Neurons. Alcoholism Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl 25.

  9. Kuhn, P., D. Sarkar (2001). Ethanol Exposure Amplifies the Process of Apoptosis During the Development of Hypothalamic β-Endorphin Cells in Culture. Alcoholism Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl 25.

  10. Chaturverdi, K., P. Kuhn, D. K. Sarkar (2002). Similarity in Expression of some pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins during ethanol- and TGF-β1-induced apoptotic death in rat hypothalamic cells: comparison by western blot analysis. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 26: 783.

  11. Chen, C. P., P. Kuhn., D. K. Sarkar (2002). Similarity in Expression of some pro- and anti-apoptotic genes during ethanol- and TGF-β1-induced apoptotic death in rat hypothalamic cells: comparison by real-time PCR analysis. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 26: 784.

  12. Kuhn, P., D. K. Sarkar (2002). Comparison of the Effects of ethanol and TGFβ1 on RB 110, E2F2, P53 and Bad protein Level in Hypothalamic cells in primary culture. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 26: 785.

  13. Grandison, L., P. Kuhn, D. K. Sarkar (2002). Similarity in Expression of some pro- and anti-apoptotic genes during ethanol- and TGF-β1-induced apoptotic death in rat hypothalamic cells: comparison by microarray analysis. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 26: 783.

  14. Boyadjieva, N., Arjona, A., Kuhn, P., Poplawski, M., Sarkar, D. (2003). The opioid antagonist naltrexone reduces alcohol’s suppressive action on nk cell cytolytic activity activity. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 27: 196.

  15. Kuhn, P., Sarkar, D. (2003). Ethanol induces apoptotic death of β-endorphin neurons in the hypothalamus by a TGFβ dependent mechanism. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 27: 229.

  16. Chen, C., Kuhn, P., Poplawski, M., Advis, J. P., Sarkar, D. S. (2003). Ethanol impairs the circadian rhythm of propiomelanocortin (POMC) and PER gene expression in the hypothalamus of male rats. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 27: 316.

  17. Chen, C., Kuhn, P., Poplawski, M., Advis, J. P., Sarkar, D. S. (2003). Use of push pull perfusion in determination of ethanol consumption impairs the circadian rhythm of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and PER gen expression in the hypothalamus of male rats. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 27, 314.

  18. Chen, C., Kuhn, P., Advis, J. P., Sarkar, D. S. (2003). Fetal alcohol exposure impairs the circadian rhythm in hypothalamic expression of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene and in plasma levels of β-endorphin. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 27, 461.

  19. Sorg, A., Kuhn, P., Koley, H., Sarkar, D. S., Kim, K. H. (2003). Effect of in utero ethanol exposure on the postnatal testis development. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 27, 685.

  20. Kuhn, P. E., Chen, C., Sarkar, D. K. (2004). Examination of ethanol exposure on neonatal rat pups and its effect on the expression of apoptotic protein genes in β-endorphin neurons of the hypothalamus: a study using laser capture microdissection and real-time PCR. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 28, 464.

  21. Chen, C., P. Kuhn, J. P. Advis, D. K. Sarkar (2004). Fetal alcohol exposure impairs the circadian rhythm in hypothalamic expression of period and POMC genes. Alc. Clin. Exp. Res. Suppl. 28, 947.

  22. David Ribnicky, Alexander Poulev, Peter Kuhn, Sithes Logendra, Aamir Zuberi, William Cefalu, and Ilya Raskin. Bioavailability assessment of an extract of Artemisia dracunculus L. with antidiabetic activities in vitro and in vivo. Abstract for the 67th Scientific Sessions, American Diabetes Association, June 22 – 26, 2007, Chicago IL, USA.

Patents

Raskin, Ilya; Ilić, Nebojša; Kuhn, Peter. Methods for reducing circulating glucose levels. U.S. Patent # 7,875,300, January, 2011.