Gerald D. Frye, Ph.D.
Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics
Joint Appointment - Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Adjunct Appointment - Dept. of Psychology, TAMU
Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (TAMU/TAMHSC)
Professor (tenured)
2104 Medical Research and Education Building
8447 State Highway 47
Bryan, TX 77807-3260
(MS 1359)
Phone: 979-436-0326
Fax: 979-436-0086
Email: gdfrye@medicine.tamhsc.edu
Frye NIH Biosketch (PDF)
Education
Ph.D., Pharmacology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (1977)
NIH Postdoctoral fellow, Neuropharmacology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Research Interests
Our group has several brain / drug research related focuses (below). Our primary tools for studying neuronal responses are electrophysiological using patch-clamp whole cell recordings in single neurons in brain slices and primary neuronal cell cultures. Most of this work is supported by peer-reviewed NIH grants from the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/.
- - Understanding the neuropharmacology of intoxication, tolerance and dependence, including epilepsy-like withdrawal seizures. How do alcohols (ethanol), anti-anxiety drugs (diazepam / Valium), sleep aides (zolpidem / Ambien), anticonvulsants (gamma-vinyl-GABA / Vigabatrin) and general anesthetics (propofol / Diprivan) change central nervous system (CNS) function through direct molecular level actions on the brain? How does alcohol activate brain adaptive responses in neurotransmitter systems and neurocircuits of the nervous system to cause acute and chronic resistance to intoxication (e.g. tolerance) and the physical requirement for ethanol (e.g. dependence) that triggers the withdrawal syndrome (e.g., DTs) including transient life threatening grand mal seizures?
- - Understanding the neurotoxicology of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) to identify therapeutic interventions that protect / improve brain function of children at risk for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) injury. What causes the fetal alcohol syndrome / fetal alcohol spectrum disorder where intoxication disrupts critical periods of neuronal development and causes lasting impairment of cognitive brain function? How does ethanol distort receptors for the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the young brain, which is also an alcohol target in the adult brain? What is the impact of ethanol on the formation and refinement of brain synapses? Can therapeutic interventions protect brain connections and activity as well as preserve cognitive function?
- - Understanding how the venom of the cicada killer wasp (Sphecius specious) causes nervous system paralysis. The molecular makeup and mechanisms of the venom of this 2-3” Texas native insect have not be characterized. Cicadas that are stung by the wasp are immobilized for at least ten days, but remain alive while they are eaten by the wasp’s larva. The molecular components to produce anesthesia of the cicadas may have potential for developing new drugs for acute pain, chronic pain medication or anesthesia. Interestingly, the sting of this solitary wasp is not lethal to humans. We are in the process of harvesting a supply of venom and beginning tests on brain neurons in the lab to develop bioassays that will allow chemical purification of active neuroactive molecules for further mechanistic and preclinical study.
I also participate as a member of the training faculty for the Texas Consortium in Behavioral Neuroscience.
I participate in graduate training as a member of the faculty in the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience.
Teaching Interests
- - MEID 936 Neuroscience Block (NeurosciMedBlk 3-7-11.pdf) Course Coordinator with Drs. R. Leonard and G. Wells. The course is required for first year medical students and introduces them to basic and clinical science concerning the normal structure and function of the CNS and peripheral nervous system as well as the consequences of injury and disease. Lectures I present to M1s include:
- Introduction to CNS Drugs & Drug Dependence (CNS Drugs.pdf)
- Alcohol Toxicity (Alcohol Toxicity.pdf)
- Anti-anxiety, Sleep Aides & Muscle Relaxants Anti-anxiety Drugs.pdf
- Local Anesthesia & Local Anesthetics (Local Anesthesia.pdf)
- General Anesthesia & General Anesthetics (General Anesthesia.pdf)
- Drugs for Neurodegenerative Disorders (PD & Alzheimer’s Drugs.pdf)
- Drug Development, Placebo Effect & Dietary Supplements (New Drugs.pdf)
I also talk to the Cen-Tex Parkinson’s Support Group in Bryan Texas:
2nd Request to present - Dopamine Drugs: Why Do Their Beneficial Effects Fluctuate? (CenTex Parkinsons Support Group talk 6-26-11)
- Dopamine Drugs: Why Do Their Beneficial Effects Fluctuate? (CenTex Parkinsons Support Group talk 9-26-10)
- A Conversation About Your Questions (CenTex Parkinsons Support Group talk 8-23-09)
- New Parkinson’s Drugs: How Are They Developed And Approved (CenTex Parkinsons Support Group talk 6-22-08)
- Ambien®, A Molecular Pharmacology of Sleep: Special Considerations for Parkinson’s Medications (CenTex Parkinsons Support Group talk 10-28-07)
- How Do Parkinson's Drugs Work? (CenTex Parkinsons Support Group talk 3-26-06)
Selected Publications
(Search for Frye articles in PubMed)
Huang, LZ, Hsiao, SH, Trzeciakowski, J, Frye, GD and Winzer-Serhan, UH. (2006) "Chronic nicotine induces growth retardation in neonatal rat pups". Life Sciences 78:1483-1493. View PDF
DuBois, DW, Trzeciakowski, JP, Parrish, AR and Frye, GD. (2006) "GABAergic miniature postsynaptic currents in septal neurons show differential allosteric sensitivity after binge-like ethanol exposure". Brain Res., 1089:101-115. View PDF
Hsiao, SH, DuBois, DW, Miranda, R and Frye, GD. (2004) "Critically-timed ethanol exposure reduces GABAAR function of septal neurons developing in vivo but not in vitro". Brain Res 1008:69-80. View PDF
DuBois, DW, Parrish, AR, Trzeciakowski, JP and Frye, GD. (2004) "Binge ethanol exposure delays development of GABAergic miniature currents in septal neurons Dev". Br. Res. 152:199-212. View PDF
Hsiao, SH and Frye, GD. (2003) "AMPA receptors on developing medial septum/diagonal band neurons are sensitive to early postnatal binge-like ethanol exposure".Dev. Brain Res. 142:89-99. View PDF
Botting, SK, Frye, GD, Pulido, MD and McCool, BA. (2003) "Effects of chronic alcohol ingestion on rat lateral/basolateral amygdala ligand-gated chloride channels". Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 985:479-480.
McCool, BA, Frye, GD, Pulido, MD and Botting, SK. (2003) "Effects of chronic ethonal consumption on rat GABAA and stychnine-sensitive glycine receptors expressed by lateral/basolateral Amygdala neurons". Brain Res. 963:165-177.
Hsiao, SH, Parrish, AR, Nahm, SS, Abbott, LC, McCool, BA and Frye, GD. (2002) "Effects of early postnatal ethanol intubation on GABAergic synaptic proteins". Dev. Brain Res. 138:177-185. View PDF
Hsiao, SH, Acevedo, JL, DuBois, DW, Smith, KR, West, JR and Frye, GD. (2001) "Early postnatal ethanol intubation blunts GABAA receptor up-regulation and modifies 3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one sensitivity in rat MS/DB neurons". Dev. Brain Res. 130:25-45. View PDF
Frye, GD and Fincher, AS. (2000) "Sustained ethanol inhibition of native AMPA receptors on medial septum/diagonal band (MS/DB) neurons". Brit. J. Pharmacol., 129:87-94. View PDF
Hsiao, SH, West, JR, Mahoney, JC, and Frye, GD. (1999) "Postnatal ethanol exposure blunts up-regulation of GABAA receptor currents in Purkinje neurons". Brain Res. 832:124-135. View PDF
Grover, CA, Wallace, KA, Lindberg, SA and Frye, GD. (1998) "Ethanol inhibition of NMDA currents in acutely dissociated medial septum/diagonal band neurons from ethanol dependent rats". Brain Res. 782:43-52.
Hsiao, SH, Mahoney, JC, West, JR, and Frye, GD. (1998) "Development of GABAA receptors on medial septum/diagonal band (MS/DB) neurons after postnatal ethanol exposure". Brain Res. 810:100-113. View PDF
