MZIA G.
ZHVANIA
Neurobiology
Head
specialist
Institute
of Physiology
Georgian
Academy of Sciences
Tbilisi
Georgia
Tel.: 995
32 227-151
zhvania_i@yahoo.com
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Education and work history
Mzia G. Zhvania, doctor of biological science,
received her Ph.D. in cytology, hystology and embriology from Georgian Medical
State University in 1980 and her Sc. D. in cell biology from Georgian State
University in 1995. After completing her postcandidate and postdoctoral
appointments in the Institute of Brain USSR Medical Academy of Science, she
joined the Department of Functional Morphology the Georgian Institute of
Physiology. During the 1991-1997 academic years she teaches cytology and histology in Georgian
Medical State University and histology in Georgian State Academy of Medical
Sciences. From 1995 Mzia Zhvania is the. Head specialist of the Institute of
Physiology Georgian Academy of Sciences.
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Selected Organizations/Appointments/Activities
International
Brain Research Organization; Russian Electronomicroscopical Society; Georgian
Physiological Society; Georgian Society of Cytologists and Histologists;
International Society "Women in Neuroscience"; UNESCO and Iowa State
University Program "International Women in Science and Engineering"
(1999); Georgian Academy of National and Social Relations; Georgian Nongovernmental
Organization "Woman in Changing World", president.
Research
Interests
Our group
has two areas of research:
The first
is to elucidate the mechanisms of the anti-epileptic action of
compound/compounds from Aquilegia Vulgaris - widely used in oriental folk medicine as
antiepileptic and soporofic medicinal. Antiepileptic nature is investigated on
audiogenically provoked seizures in Krushinsky-Molodkina of rats, which are
exhibiting tonic-clonic convulsions in response to audiogenic stimulation and
in kindling model of epilepsy. Experiments revealed GABA-ergic system deficit
in limbic system and neocortex of these rats. Systemic administration of
partially purified Aquilegia Vulgaris fraction results in significant increase of the threshold
time for audiogenic stimulation and decrease in duration of seizures. Active
compound is not GABA itself, do not resemble any described ligand or
antiepileptic drug. It has not a peptide nature. What is the chemical nature of
these compound/compounds? To solve this problem the scientists of our group
purify them to homogenous state and by use the classical and modern methods of
chemistry, neurochemistry and molecular biology investigate their different
properties. At this step I study the qualitative and quantitative changes of
GABA-ergic neurons and GABA-ergic receptors on various levels after epileptic
seizures and after parallel treatment by active compound/compounds. Seizures
are accompanied by apoptotic death of cells. We are tested: can treatment by
active compound/compounds alter these processes. With regard to the latter we
are interested to get new insights in the role of GABA-ergic system in
epilepsy.
Another
area of research is to investigate the influence of different forms of
hypokinesia and social isolation on the structure of limbic, neocortical and
extrapyramidal regions in different mammals.
Selected Publications
M.G.
Zhvania, and N.A. Kostenko, "Structure of higher sections of the motor
system of the brain of the hypokinetic rat," J. Neurosci.and Behav.
Physiol. 26, 3 (1998).
M.G.
Zhvania, "Effect of hypokinesia on ultrastructure of the rat
neocortex," J. Bull. of Exp. Biol. and
Med.. 125, 3 (1998).
M.G.
Zhvania. "The Influence of hypokinesia on synapsoarchitectonical features of rat limbic and extrapyramidal structures,"
in Neurochemistry, Section 16. Other Clinical Aspects, (Plenum-Press, New York, 1997).
M.G.
Zhvania, and I.M. Kakabadze, "Ultrastructure of telencephalic mielinated
fibers of the hypokinetic rat," Neurosci. and Behav. Physiol. 26, 3 (1996).
M.G.
Zhvania, and N.A. Kostenko, "The structure of the motor cortex of the
brain of the hypokinetic rat," Neurosci. and Behav. Physiol. 26, 3 (1996).
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