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Fernando Cardozo-Pelaez
Associate Professor

Phone: (406) 243-4025

Email: fernando.cardozo@umontana.edu

Originally from Colombia, Fernando Cardozo-Pelaez received a bachelor degree in Chemistry at the Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira in Colombia. He graduated with a Masters in Analytical Chemistry under Dr. Robert Braman at the University of South Florida, and in 1996 earned a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences at the University of South Florida in Tampa under Dr. Lynn Wecker tutelage. After a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Neurology in the University of South Florida, under Dr. Juan Sanchez-Ramos guidance, Fernando moved to the University of Montana as an Assistant Professor in 2002.

RESEARCH STATEMENT
The main objective in the Cardozo lab is to determine the effects that exposure to environmental neurotoxins have on levels of DNA damage and the DNA repair capacity in the central nervous system, and how these effects will alter neuronal function or will lead to neuronal death. 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (oxo8dG), a free radical-induced base, has been shown to be associated with processes of neurodegeneration that occur in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers and ParkinsonÕs or after neurotoxicologycal insult. Accumulation of oxo8dG has been shown to be promutagenic in dividing cells. However, the functional relevance of high levels of oxo8dG in non-dividing cells is unknown. The CNS is a heterogeneous mixture of cells; therefore, it is difficult to elucidate the degree of damage to glia, as compared to neurons from studies of gross tissue. Ongoing studies with PC 12 cells, a model of neuronal differentiation, are being used to understand the differential response in DNA repair capacity of actively dividing cells compared to terminally differentiated cells, after toxicological insult. The research group also works on studies aimed to link processes of neurodegeneration and failure in the DNA repair system with increased susceptibility to neurotoxicants during normal aging. So far, it has been found that DNA damage accumulation (oxo8dG) in brain regions is regulated by the activity of the glycosylase that repairs it. Clearly, there are many other steps involved in base-excision repair of damaged DNA in post-mitotic tissues. Thus, there may be other components of DNA repair that are deficient or more susceptible to neurotoxins during aging or in specific neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, our lab identified a treatment that selectively increases the activity of the enzyme responsible for removing oxo8dG form DNA in specific brain regions. Detailed studies are being done to identify the mechanism responsible for DNA repair up-regulation, as well as its possible protective role. Additionally, studies are being performed to determine if DNA repair capacity is lost with aging or the inducible component is compromised after toxicological insult.
KEY PUBLICATIONS
Wells S.M., Buford M.C., Porter V.M., Brunell H.L., Bunderson-Schelvan M., Nevin A.B., Cardozo-Pelaez F., Holian A. Role of the Serotonergic System in Reduced Pulmonary Function Following Exposure to Methamphetamine. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2009 Jun 18. [Epub ahead of print]

Cerchiaro G., Bolin C., and Cardozo-Pelaez F. (2009) Hydroxyl radical oxidation of guanosine 5’-triphosphate (GTP): requirement for a GTP-Cu(II) complex. 14(2): 82-92.  Redox Report

Zawia N.H., Lahiri D.K., and Cardozo–Peláez F. (2009) Epigenetics, oxidative stress and Alzheimer's Disease. 46(9):1241-1249. Free Radical of Biology and Medicine

Bolin C., and Cardozo-Pelaez F. (2009) Characterization of oxidized guanosine 5’-triphosphate (oxo8GTP) as a viable inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC). 46(6): 828-835.  Free Radical of Biology and Medicine

Kronenberg G., Harms C., Sobol R.W., Cardozo-Pelaez F., Winter B., Balkaya M., Gertz K., Gay S.B., Cox D., Linhard H., Eckart S., Ahmadi M., Juckel G., Kempermann G., Hellweg R., Hörtnagl H., Wilson S.H., Jaenisch R., and Endres M. (2008) Neurodegeneration, cognitive deficits, and depressive phenotype induced by folate-deficiency and impaired uracil base excision repair. 28(28):7219–7230. Journal of Neuroscience.

Wu J., Basha M.R., Brock B., Cox D.P., Cardozo-Pelaez F., McPherson C.A., Harry J., Rice D.C., Maloney B., Chen D., Lahiri D.K., and Zawia N.H. (2008) Alzheimer's disease (AD) like pathology in aged monkeys following infantile exposure to environmental metal lead (Pb): Evidence for a developmental origin and environmental link for AD. 28(1): 3-9. Journal of Neurosciences.

Blake D.J., Bolin C.M., Cox D.P., Cardozo-Pelaez F., and Pfau J.C. (2007) Internalization of Libby amphibole asbestos and induction of oxidative stress in murine macrophages. 99(1): 277-288. Toxicological Sciences.

Bolin C., and Cardozo-Pelaez F. (2007) Assessing biomarkers of oxidative stress: Analysis of guanosine and oxidized guanosine nucleotide triphosphates by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. 856(1-2): 121-130. Journal of Chromatography B.

Cox D.P., and Cardozo-Pelaez F. (2007) High Throughput Method for Assessment of Cellular Reduced Glutathione in Mammalian Cells. 1: 23-28. JEPS.

Bolin C.M., Basha M.R., Cox D.P., Zawia N.H., Cardozo-Pelaez F. (2006) Latent Effects of Postnatal Pb Exposure on DNA Damage, Repair and Antioxidants 20(6):788-90. FASEB Journal.

Cardozo-Pelaez F., Cox D.P., and Bolin C. (2005) Lack of the DNA repair enzyme OGG1 sensitizes dopamine neurons to manganese toxicity during development. 12(4-6):315-23. Gene Expression.

Kruman I., Wersto R.P., Cardozo-Peláez F., Smilenov L., Chan S.L., Chrest F.J., Emokpae R., Gorospe M., Mattson M.P. (2004) Cell Cycle Activation Linked to Neuronal Cell Death Induced by DNA Damage. 41: 549–561.Neuron.

Bolin C.. Stedeford T.. and Cardozo-Peláez F. (2004) Single Extraction Protocol for the Analysis of Oxo8dG and its Associated Glycosylase Ogg1. 136 (1):69-76. Journal of Neurosciences Methods.

Sava V., Mosquera D., Song S., Stedeford T., Calero K., Cardozo-Pelaez F., Harbison R., Sanchez-Ramos J. (2004) Rubratoxin B elicits antioxidative and DNA repair responses in mouse brain. 11(5-6):211-9. Gene Expression.

Sava V., Mosquera D., Song S., Cardozo-Peláez F., Sanchez-Ramos J.R. (2004) Effects of melanin and manganese on DNA damage and repair in PC12-derived neurons. 36(9):1144-54. Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

Mosquera D.I., Stedeford T., Cardozo-Peláez F., Sanchez-Ramos J. (2003) Strain-specific differences in the expression and activity of Ogg1 in the CNS. 11(1):47-53. Gene Expression.

Radak Z., Naito H., Kaneko T., Tahara S., Nakamoto H., Takahashi R., Cardozo-Peláez F. and Goto, S. (2002) Exercise training decreases DNA damage and increases DNA repair and resistance against oxidative stress of proteins in aged rat skeletal muscle. 445(2):273-8. Pflugers Archives European Journal of Physiology .

Cardozo-Peláez F., Stedeford T.J., Brooks P.J., Song S., and Sanchez-Ramos J. (2002) Effects of Diethylmaleate on DNA Damage and Repair in the Mouse Brain. 33: 292-298. Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

Stedeford T., Cardozo-Peláez F., Vultaggio B., Muro-Cacho C., Luzardo G.E., and Harbison R.D. (2002) ?? -Adrenergic Receptors and Their Significance to Chemical-Induced Nephrotoxicity. 110(1-2):59-72. Research Communications in Molecular Pathology and Pharmacology.

Serrano-Dueñas M., Cardozo-Peláez F., and Sanchez-Ramos J. (2001) Effects of Banisteriopsis Caapi Extract on Parkinson’s Disease. 5:127-132. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine.

Stedeford T., Cardozo-Peláez F., Nemeth N., Song S., Harbison R.D., and Sanchez-Ramos J. (2001) Effects of Dieldrin on DNA Repair in PC12 Cells. 31(10):1272-1280. Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

Sanchez-Ramos J.R., Song S., Kamath S.G., Zigova T., Willing A., Cardozo-Peláez F., Stedeford T., Chopp M., Sanberg P.R. (2001) Neural Gene Expression in Human Umbilical Cord Blood. 171(1):109-15. Experimental Neurology.

Stedeford T., Cardozo-Peláez F., Hover C., Harbison R.D., and Sanchez-Ramos J. (2001) Organ-Specific Differences in 8-oxoguanosine Glycosylase (OGG1) Repair Following Acute Treatment with Benzo[a]Pyrene. 109(1-2):73-85. Research Communications in Molecular Pathology and Pharmacology.

Sanchez-Ramos J., Song S., Daley M., Cardozo-Peláez F., Hazzi C., Stedeford T., Willing A., Freeman T.B., Saporta S., Zigova T., Sanberg P.R., and Snyder E.Y. (2000) The X-gal Caution in Neural Transplantation Studies. 9(5):657-667. Cell Transplantation.

Sanchez-Ramos J., Song S., Cardozo-Peláez F., Hazzi C., Stedeford T., Willing A., Freeman T.B., Saporta S., Janssen W., Patel N., Cooper D.R., and Sanberg P.R. (2000) Adult Bone Marrow Stroma Cells Differentiate Into Neuronal Cells in vitro. 164(2):247-256. Experimental Neurology.

Cardozo-Peláez F., Brooks P.J., Stedeford T., Song S., and Sanchez-Ramos J. (2000) DNA Damage, Repair and Antioxidant Systems: A Correlative Study. 28(5):779-785. Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

CHAPTERS

Song S., Cardozo-Peláez F., and Sanchez-Ramos J. (2001) Relationship of Organochlorine Pesticides to Parkinsonism. In, Neurotoxic Factors in Parkinson’s Disease and Related Disorders. Pp237-245. (edited by Collins and Storch, Kluwer (Academic/Plenum).

Stedeford T., and Cardozo-Peláez F. (2004) DNA Damage and Repair in Neurotoxicology. In Molecular Neurotoxicology: Transcriptional Targets. Pp123-149 (edited by Nasser H. Zawia, Taylor and Francis Books. London, UK)