Hitoshi Kita, PhD

Education

• PhD Institution: Kyushu University, Department of Physiology
• Postdoctoral: Kyushu University, Department of Physiology

Research Interests

The study in my laboratory is to obtain precise descriptions of the function of the basal ganglia, including the neostriatum (STR), the subthalamic nucleus (STH), the substantia nigra (SN), and the globus pallidus (GP). Questions of interest are: 1) What are the membrane properties of STR, STH, SN and GP neurons? 2) What is the mode of action of STH inputs to GP and SN, and what are the neurotransmitters of these inputs? 3) What is the mode of action of GP inputs to STH and SN, and what neurotransmitter is involved? 4) What is the mode of action of SN inputs to STH and the neurotransmitter? 5) What are the morphological features of STH, GP and SN neurons, STH efferents to GP and SN, and GP and SN efferents to STH?

The physiological questions are addressed using intracellular recordings and neuropharmacological manipulations in both in vivo and in vitro slice preparations. The anatomical questions are addressed with light and electron microscope analysis of intracellularly labeled neurons, immunohistochemistry of neurotransmitter containing neurons and terminals, and the use of neurotracers to identify nerve elements.

Representative Publications

Most Recent

• Kita T, Kita H (2012) The subthalamic nucleus is one of multiple innervation sites for long-range corticofugal axons: a single-axon tracing study in the rat. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 32:5990-5999.
• Tachibana Y, Iwamuro H, Kita H, Takada M, Nambu A (2011) Subthalamo-pallidal interactions underlying Parkinsonian neuronal oscillations in the primate basal ganglia. The European journal of neuroscience 34:1470-1484.
• Nishibayashi H, Ogura M, Kakishita K, Tanaka S, Tachibana Y, Nambu A, Kita H, Itakura T (2011) Cortically evoked responses of human pallidal neurons recorded during stereotactic neurosurgery. Mov Disord 26:469-476.
• Nambu A, Chiken S, Shashidharan P, Nishibayashi H, Ogura M, Kakishita K, Tanaka S, Tachibana Y, Kita H, Itakura T (2011) Reduced pallidal output causes dystonia. Frontiers in systems neuroscience 5:89.
• Kita T, Kita H (2011) Cholinergic and non-cholinergic mesopontine tegmental neurons projecting to the subthalamic nucleus in the rat. Eur J Neurosci 33:433-443.
• Kita H, Kita T (2011) Role of Striatum in the Pause and Burst Generation in the Globus Pallidus of 6-OHDA-Treated Rats. Front Syst Neurosci 5:42.

Dr Kita's complete list of publications.