Pharmacology and Toxicology Faculty
NAME:
Sheba M.J. MohanKumar
Educational Background
1988
BVSc (DVM equiv.), Tamilnadu Agricultural University, India
1992
M.S., Biochemistry, Kansas State University-Manhattan
1996
Ph.D., Neuroendocrinology, Kansas State University-Manhattan
1997-99
Postdoctoral Fellow, Anatomy and Physiology, Kansas State University-Manhattan
1999-00
Research Assistant Professor, Diagnostic Medicine & Pathology, Kansas State
University
2000-06
Assistant Professor, Pathology & Diagnostic Investigation, Michigan State University
2006-2013
Assistant Professor, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University
2013-present
Associate Professor, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University
CONTACT INFO
Email: mohankumrs@cvm.msu.edu
Lab: G200E Vet Med Ctr
Ph: 517-432-2876
Fax: 517-353-8915
BIOGRAPHY AND CURRENT RESEARCH
Research Synopsis:
Research in our lab focuses on two areas of neuroendocrinology:
1) Neuroimmunoendocrinology: We are trying to understand the mechanisms by which the immune system interacts with
the neuroendocrine system to affect various body functions. Our primary focus is on the stress axis and the reproductive
axis. Both these axes are controlled by specific neurons located in the brain and are influenced by a variety of
neurochemicals and hormones. We use cytokines and LPS as immune modulators and study their effects on a variety of
mediators such as neurotransmitters, chemokines, cytokines and hormones and how they interact with each other to affect
the neuroendocrine system.
2) Neuroendocrine changes caused by aging, obesity and endocrine disruptors: We also study cellular and molecular
changes that occur in specific brain areas during the aging process, in obesity and after exposure to endocrine disruptors.
We use both whole animal models and cell culture systems in our studies. Some of the techniques used in the laboratory
include perfusion of specific brain areas in conscious freely moving animals, brain microdissection, immunohistochemistry,
ELISA, HPLC with electrochemical detection, proteomics and gene expression.
Current Projects:
Diet-induced obesity: effect on stress and reproduction.
Effects of chronic estrogen exposure on brain dopaminergic systems, hypertension and behavior.
Prenatal and adult exposures to environmental estrogens and their impact on neural development relating to
neuroendocrine function, hypertension and behavior
Interleukin-1-induced suppression of luteinizing hormone secretion: Role of chemokines and neurotransmitters.
COMMITTEES AND ACTIVITIES:
Committees:
Admissions Committee, CVM, MSU
Activities:
Study Abroad: Veterinary Medicine in India Study Abroad for Veterinary Students in India
PUBLICATIONS AND ABSTRACTS (Current and former students in ‘bold’)
Selected Publications (since 2005):
Kasturi BS, MohanKumar SM, Sirivelu MP, Shin AC, MohanKumar PS. Chronic estradiol-17ß exposure suppresses
hypothalamic norepinephrine release and the steroid-induced luteinizing hormone surge: role of nitration of tyrosine
hydroxylase. Brain Res. 1493:90-8, 2013.
Balasubramanian P, Sirivelu MP, Weiss KA, Wagner JG, Harkema JR, Morishita M, MohanKumar PS, MohanKumar SM.
Differential effects of inhalation exposure to PM2.5 on hypothalamic monoamines and corticotrophin releasing hormone in
lean and obese rats. Neurotoxicology 36:106-111, 2013.
Sirivelu MP, MohanKumar PS, MohanKumar SM. Interleukin-1 beta simultaneously affects the stress and reproductive
axes by modulating norepinephrine levels in different brain areas. Life Sci 91:878-884, 2012.
Balasubramanian P, Jagannathan L, Mahaley RE, Subramanian M, Gilbreath ET, MohanKumar PS, MohanKumar SM.
J Neuroendocrinol 24:748-755, 2012.
Subramanian M, Balasubramanian P, Garver H, Northcott CA, Zhao H, Haywood JR, Fink GD, MohanKumar SM,
MohanKumar PS. Chronic estradiol-17ß exposure increases superoxide production in the rostral ventrolateral medulla and
causes hypertension: reversal by resveratrol. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 300:R1560-R1568, 2011.
MohanKumar SM, Kasturi BS, Shin AC, Balasubramanian P, Gilbreath ET, Subramanian M, MohanKumar PS: Chronic
estradiol exposure induces oxidative stress in the hypothalamus to decrease hypothalamic dopamine and cause
hyperprolactinemia. Am. J Physiol. 300(3): R693-9, 2011.
Shin AC, MohanKumar SM, Sirivelu MP, Claycombe KJ, Haywood JR, Fink GD and MohanKumar PS. Chronic exposure
to a high-fat diet affects stress axis function differentially in diet-induced obese and diet-resistant rats. Int. J. Obes. (Lond.)
34(7): 1218-1226, 2010. (PMC2892636)
Sirivelu MP, Shin AC, Perez GL, MohanKumar PS, MohanKumar SM: Effect of L-dopa on interleukin-1 beta-induced
suppression of luteinizing hormone secretion in intact female rats. Hum Reprod. 24(3): 718-25, 2009. (PMC2646791)
Kasturi BS, MohanKumar SM, Sirivelu MP, MohanKumar PS: Chronic exposure to low levels of oestradiol-17beta affects
oestrous cyclicity, hypothalamic norepinephrine and serum luteinising hormone in young intact rats. J. Neuroendocrinol.
21(6): 568-77, 2009. (PMC2694579)
Sirivelu MP, Burnett R, Shin AC, Kim C, MohanKumar PS, MohanKumar SM: Interaction between GABA and norepinephrine in interleukin-1beta-induced suppression of the luteinizing hormone surge. Brain Res. 1248:107-14, 2009.
(PMC2664664)
Mohankumar SM, Campbell A, Block M, Veronesi B: Particulate matter, oxidative stress and neuro-toxicity. Neurotoxicology 29(3): 478-87, 2008.
Clark KA, Shin AC, Sirivelu MP, Mohankumar SM, Mohankumar PS: Systemic administration of leptin decreases plasma
corticosterone levels: role of hypothalamic norepinephrine. Brain Res. 1195: 89-95, 2008. (PMC2396874)
MohanKumar SM, King A, Shin AC, Sirivelu MP, MohanKumar PS, Fink GD: Developmental programming of
cardiovascu-lar disorders: focus on hypertension. Rev. Endocr. Metab. Disord. 8(2): 115-25, 2007. (Review)
Pasarica M, Shin AC, Yu M, Yang HO, Rathod M, Jen KLC, MohanKumar SM, MohanKumar PS, Markward N, Dhurandhar
NV: Human adenovirus 36 induces adiposity, increases insulin sensitivity, and alters hypothalamic monoamines and stress
axis in rats. Obesity 14(11): 1905-13, 2006.
Sirivelu MP, MohanKumar SM, Wagner JG, Harkema JR, MohanKumar PS: Activation of the stress axis and neurochemical alterations in specific brain areas by concentrated air particle exposure with concomitant allergic airway disease.
Environ. Hlth. Perspec. 114(6): 870-4, 2006. (PMC1480501)
Clarke KA, MohanKumar SM, Kasturi BS, MohanKumar PS: Effects of systemic and central administration of leptin on
brain neurotransmitters in specific areas of the hypothalamus. Am. J. Physiol. 290(2): R306-12, 2006.
Mohankumar SM, Mohankumar PS: Systemic Interleukin-1beta stimulates the simultaneous release of norepinephrine in
the paraventricular nucleus and the median eminence. Brain Res Bull. 65: 451-6, 2005.
Meeting Abstracts (since 2005):
Balasubramanian P, Varde P, Garcia F, Asirvatham-Jeyaraj N, MohanKumar PS, MohanKumar SM. Differential effects of
prenatal stress on metabolic programming in diet-induced obese and dietary resistant rats. Experimental Biology San
Diego, 2012. Faseb J 26:877.8, 2012.
Clark KA, Sirivelu MP, Ramachandran R, MohanKumar SM, MohanKumar PS: Leptin gene therapy ameliorates the
neuroendocrine effects of streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus in rats. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., #822.09/VV54, 2011.
Balasubramanian P, Subramanian M, Gilbreath E, Nunez J, MohanKumar PS, MohanKumar SM: Role of hippocampal
monoamines in chronic estrogen-induced anxiety like behaviour in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr.,
#611.03/WW2, 2011.
Gilbreath E, Jagannathan L, Balasubramanian P, Subramanian M, MohanKumar S, MohanKumar PS: Chronic
estradiol exposure increases interleukin-1 beta and nitrate levels in the arcuate nucleus. FASEB J. 25: 852.3, 2011.
Balasubramanian P Linning KD, Subramanian M, MohanKumar PS, MohanKumar SMJ: Fetal programming of obesity in
diet induced obese rats—Effects of prenatal stress. FASEB J. 25: 850.1, 2011.
Jeyaraj NA, Dorrance A, Subramanian M, MohanKumar S, MohanKumar PS, Fink G: Eicosanoid gene expression in the
brain during the onset of angiotensin II-salt hypertension in the rat. FASEB J. 25: 828.8, 2011.
Subramanian M, Gilbreath ET, Jagannathan L, MohanKumar SMJ, Fink GD, MohanKumar PS: Chronic estradiol-17β
(E2) exposure increases the expression of cytokine and chemokine genes in the rostral ventrolateral medullar (RVLM).
FASEB J. 25: 828.7, 2011.
Gilbreath ET, Agnew D, MohanKumar S, MohanKumar P: Low-dose chronic estrogen exposure causes follicular
pathology and alterations in Mullerian inhibiting substance expression in the rat ovary. FASEB J. 24: 1030.16, 2010.
Subramanian M, Hamman DW, Mohankumar SMJ, Fink GD, Mohankumar PS: Chronic exposure to estradiol 17β (E2)
causes hypertension in female rats: Role of IL-1 β and norepinephrine. FASEB J. 24: 809.9, 2010.
Balasubramanian P, Jagannathan LK, Gilbreath ET, Subramanian M, Mohankumar PS, Mohankumar SMJ: High fat
feeding inhibits the hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal (HPG) axis and ovulation in diet-induced obese rats. FASEB J. 24:
627.5, 2010.
Jagannathan L, MohanKumar S, MohanKumar, P: Effect of estradiol 17β (E2) expression of genes related to inflammation
in the arcuate nucleus of female rats: Effects of aging. FASEB J. 24: 484.1, 2010.
Sirivelu MP, Mohankumar SM, Mohankumar P: Systemic interleukin-1β differentially affects gene expression in brainstem
noradrenergic nuclei of female rats in proestrous. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., #868.4, 2009.
Jagannathan L, Mohankumar SM, Mohankumar PS: Direct effects of oleic acid on neurotransmitter release from the rat
hypothalamus in vitro. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., #864.19, 2009.
Gilbreath ET, Nuñez JL, Mohankumar PS, Mohankumar SM: Effects of systemic IL-1 beta on anxiety-like behavior and
MCP-1 expression in the brain. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., #570.9, 2009.
Sirivelu MP, Mohankumar SMJ, Shin AC, Burnett R, Mohankumar PS: Systemic interleukin-1 beta blocks the steroidinduced LH surge-interaction between GABA and norepinephrine. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., #618.6, 2008.
Shin AC, Mohankumar SMJ, Linning KD, Sirivelu MP, Fink GD, Haywood JR, Claycombe P, Mohankumar S: Chronic
metformin treatment reverses the obese phenotype in diet-induced obese (DIO) rats placed on a high-fat (HF) diet). Soc.
Neurosci. Abstr., #284.1, 2008.
Sirivelu MP, Mohankumar PS, Mohankumar SMJ: Simultaneous effects of systemic interleukin-1β (IL-1β) on the HPA and
HPG axes: Role of norepinephrine. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., #831.3, 2007.
Shin AC, Mohankumar SMJ, Sirivelu MP, Linning KD, Fink GD, Haywood JR, Claycombe KJ, Mohankumar PS: Role of
leptin in diet-induced obesity (DIO) and dysregulation of the stress axis. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., #419.2, 2007.
Shin AC, MohanKumar SMG, Fink G, Haywood JR, MohanKumar P: High-fat feeding decreases C-reactive protein (CRP)
in rats. FASEB J. 21: A458, 2007.
Shin AC, Mohankumar SMJ, Zhao H, Haywood JR, Mohankumar PS: Development of diet-induced obesity: Possible role
of IL-1β. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. #521.16, 2005.
Sirivelu Prabhakar M, Shin AC, Mohankumar PS, Mohankumar SMJ: Interleukin-1β suppresses luteinizing hormone
while simultaneously increasing serum corticosterone: Effects of noradrenergic agonists. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., #126.14,
2005.
Akinyemiju T., Sirivelu MP, Mohankumar SMJ, Mohankumar PS: 17β-Estradiol increases interleukin-1 (IL-1β) levels in
hypothalamic mixed neuronal/glial cell culture. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., #126.13, 2005.
For a complete Listing of Dr. MohanKumar’s publications:
http://goo.gl/frVF7
Updated 2/7/2014