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Alan Cowan, PhD

Professor Emeritus, Pharmacology

Professor Emeritus, Anesthesiology

Professor Emeritus, Substance Abuse Research

Telephone:  215-707- 4110

Fax:  215-707-7068

Email: acowan@temple.edu

Department of Pharmacology

Department of Anesthesiology

Center for Substance Abuse Research

University of Glasgow, Scotland: BSc Pharmacy, 1964

 

Royal College of Science and Technology: ARCST Pharmacy, 1964

 

University of Strathclyde, Glasgow: PhD Pharmacology, 1968

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• The pharmacological interface between pain and itch
• Development of kappa agonists as antipruritic agents
• Behavioral and gut pharmacology of bombesin-like peptides, icilin and tegaserod

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Recent Medically Related Publications, Obtained from PubMed (Click on PubMed ID to view abstract)

21841040. Wang YJ, Rasakham K, Huang P, Chudnovskaya D, Cowan A, Liu-Chen LY, Sex difference in ?-opioid receptor (KOPR)-mediated behaviors, brain region KOPR level and KOPR-mediated guanosine 5'-O-(3-[35S]thiotriphosphate) binding in the guinea pig. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 339:2(438-50)2011 Nov

21600706. Palma J, Cowan A, Geller EB, Adler MW, Benamar K, Differential antinociceptive effects of buprenorphine and methadone in the presence of HIV-gp120. Drug Alcohol Depend 118:2-3(497-9)2011 Nov 1

21315691. Kim J, Cowan A, Lisek R, Raymondi N, Rosenthal A, Hirsch DD, Rawls SM, Icilin-evoked behavioral stimulation is attenuated by alpha2-adrenoceptor activation. Brain Res 1384:(110-7)2011 Apr 12

21126550. Inan S, Dun NJ, Cowan A, Investigation of gastrin-releasing peptide as a mediator for 5'-guanidinonaltrindole-induced compulsive scratching in mice. Peptides 32:2(286-92)2011 Feb

21112161. Benamar K, Palma J, Cowan A, Geller EB, Adler MW, Analgesic efficacy of buprenorphine in the presence of high levels of SDF-1a/CXCL12 in the brain. Drug Alcohol Depend 114:2-3(246-8)2011 Apr 1

20826425. Zhao P, Sharir H, Kapur A, Cowan A, Geller EB, Adler MW, Seltzman HH, Reggio PH, Heynen-Genel S, Sauer M, Chung TD, Bai Y, Chen W, Caron MG, Barak LS, Abood ME, Targeting of the orphan receptor GPR35 by pamoic acid: a potent activator of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and ß-arrestin2 with antinociceptive activity. Mol Pharmacol 78:4(560-8)2010 Oct

20061095. Tallarida RJ, Cowan A, Raffa RB, On deriving the dose-effect relation of an unknown second component: an example using buprenorphine preclinical data. Drug Alcohol Depend 109:1-3(126-9)2010 Jun 1

19733208. Huang P, Liu-Chen LY, Unterwald EM, Cowan A, Hyperlocomotion and paw tremors are two highly quantifiable signs of SR141716-precipitated withdrawal from delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in C57BL/6 mice. Neurosci Lett 465:1(66-70)2009 Nov 6

19549515. Inan S, Dun NJ, Cowan A, Inhibitory effect of lidocaine on pain and itch using formalin-induced nociception and 5'-guanidinonaltrindole-induced scratching models in mice: behavioral and neuroanatomical evidence. Eur J Pharmacol 616:1-3(141-6)2009 Aug 15

19524022. Inan S, Dun NJ, Cowan A, Nalfurafine prevents 5'-guanidinonaltrindole- and compound 48/80-induced spinal c-fos expression and attenuates 5'-guanidinonaltrindole-elicited scratching behavior in mice. Neuroscience 163:1(23-33)2009 Sep 29

19248800. Werkheiser J, Cowan A, Gomez T, Henry C, Parekh S, Chau S, Baron DA, Rawls SM, Icilin-induced wet-dog shakes in rats are dependent on NMDA receptor activation and nitric oxide production. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 92:3(543-8)2009 May

18942041. Ung D, Cowan A, Parkman HP, Nagar S, Lack of interaction between metoclopramide and morphine in vitro and in mice. Xenobiotica 38:11(1365-76)2008 Nov

18925386. Inan S, Lee DY, Liu-Chen LY, Cowan A, Comparison of the diuretic effects of chemically diverse kappa opioid agonists in rats: nalfurafine, U50,488H, and salvinorin A. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 379:3(263-70)2009 Mar

18789801. Xiong Z, Yan Y, Song J, Fang P, Yin Y, Yang Y, Cowan A, Wang H, Yang XF, Expression of TCTP antisense in CD25(high) regulatory T cells aggravates cuff-injured vascular inflammation. Atherosclerosis 203:2(401-8)2009 Apr

18508723. Xiong Z, Song J, Yan Y, Huang Y, Cowan A, Wang H, Yang XF, Higher expression of Bax in regulatory T cells increases vascular inflammation. Front Biosci 13:(7143-55)2008 May 1

18155835. Ding Z, Cowan A, Rawls SM, 5-HT reuptake and 5-HT2 receptors modulate capsaicin-evoked hypothermia in rats. Neurosci Lett 430:3(191-6)2008 Jan 17

18089845. Wang Y, Chen Y, Xu W, Lee DY, Ma Z, Rawls SM, Cowan A, Liu-Chen LY, 2-Methoxymethyl-salvinorin B is a potent kappa opioid receptor agonist with longer lasting action in vivo than salvinorin A. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 324:3(1073-83)2008 Mar

18064600. Radzievsky AA, Gordiienko OV, Alekseev S, Szabo I, Cowan A, Ziskin MC, Electromagnetic millimeter wave induced hypoalgesia: frequency dependence and involvement of endogenous opioids. Bioelectromagnetics 29:4(284-95)2008 May

17976579. Ding Z, Gomez T, Werkheiser JL, Cowan A, Rawls SM, Icilin induces a hyperthermia in rats that is dependent on nitric oxide production and NMDA receptor activation. Eur J Pharmacol 578:2-3(201-8)2008 Jan 14

21768937. Cowan A, Buprenorphine: the basic pharmacology revisited. J Addict Med 1:2(68-72)2007 Jun

17150231. Werkheiser JL, Rawls SM, Cowan A, Nalfurafine, the kappa opioid agonist, inhibits icilin-induced wet-dog shakes in rats and antagonizes glutamate release in the dorsal striatum. Neuropharmacology 52:3(925-30)2007 Mar

17018247. Ding Z, Cowan A, Tallarida R, Rawls SM, Capsaicin and nitric oxide synthase inhibitor interact to evoke a hypothermic synergy. Neurosci Lett 409:1(41-6)2006 Nov 27

16945367. Werkheiser JL, Rawls SM, Cowan A, Mu and kappa opioid receptor agonists antagonize icilin-induced wet-dog shaking in rats. Eur J Pharmacol 547:1-3(101-5)2006 Oct 10

16919318. Inan S, Cowan A, Nalfurafine, a kappa opioid receptor agonist, inhibits scratching behavior secondary to cholestasis induced by chronic ethynylestradiol injections in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 85:1(39-43)2006 Sep

16893609. Hummel M, Schroeder J, Liu-Chen LY, Cowan A, Unterwald EM, An antisense oligodeoxynucleotide to the mu opioid receptor attenuates cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization and reward in mice. Neuroscience 142:2(481-91)2006 Oct 13

16647109. Rawls SM, Ding Z, Cowan A, Role of TRPV1 and cannabinoid CB1 receptors in AM 404-evoked hypothermia in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 83:4(508-16)2006 Apr

16622598. Werkheiser JL, Rawls SM, Cowan A, Icilin evokes a dose- and time-dependent increase in glutamate within the dorsal striatum of rats. Amino Acids 30:3(307-9)2006 May

16566919. Rawls SM, Allebach C, Cowan A, Nitric oxide synthase mediates delta opioid receptor-induced hypothermia in rats. Eur J Pharmacol 536:1-2(109-12)2006 Apr 24

16513108. Feng P, Rahim RT, Cowan A, Liu-Chen LY, Peng X, Gaughan J, Meissler JJ Jr, Adler MW, Eisenstein TK, Effects of mu, kappa or delta opioids administered by pellet or pump on oral Salmonella infection and gastrointestinal transit. Eur J Pharmacol 534:1-3(250-7)2006 Mar 18

16483716. Rawls SM, Cowan A, Modulation of delta opioid-evoked hypothermia in rats by WAY 100635 and fluoxetine. Neurosci Lett 398:3(319-24)2006 May 8

16309633. Ding Z, Cowan A, Rawls SM, Capsaicin evokes hypothermia independent of cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors. Brain Res 1065:1-2(147-51)2005 Dec 14

16054619. Inan S, Cowan A, Reduced kappa-opioid activity in a rat model of cholestasis. Eur J Pharmacol 518:2-3(182-6)2005 Aug 22

15972210. Cowan A, Earnest DL, Ligozio G, Rojavin MA, Omeprazole-induced slowing of gastrointestinal transit in mice can be countered with tegaserod. Eur J Pharmacol 517:1-2(127-31)2005 Jul 4

15936000. Rawls SM, Hewson JM, Inan S, Cowan A, Brain delta2 opioid receptors mediate SNC-80-evoked hypothermia in rats. Brain Res 1049:1(61-9)2005 Jul 5

15687734. Rawls SM, Ding Z, Gray AM, Cowan A, Peripheral kappa-opioid agonist, ICI 204448, evokes hypothermia in cold-exposed rats. Pharmacology 74:2(79-83)2005 May

15476749. Inan S, Cowan A, Kappa opioid agonists suppress chloroquine-induced scratching in mice. Eur J Pharmacol 502:3(233-7)2004 Oct 19

15383632. Wang Y, Tang K, Inan S, Siebert D, Holzgrabe U, Lee DY, Huang P, Li JG, Cowan A, Liu-Chen LY, Comparison of pharmacological activities of three distinct kappa ligands (Salvinorin A, TRK-820 and 3FLB) on kappa opioid receptors in vitro and their antipruritic and antinociceptive activities in vivo. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 312:1(220-30)2005 Jan

12966152. Tallarida RJ, Cowan A, Raffa RB, Antinociceptive synergy, additivity, and subadditivity with combinations of oral glucosamine plus nonopioid analgesics in mice. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 307:2(699-704)2003 Nov

12932841. Rawls SM, Adler MW, Gaughan JP, Baron A, Geller EB, Cowan A, NMDA receptors modulate morphine-induced hyperthermia. Brain Res 984:1-2(76-83)2003 Sep 12

12665117. Cowan A, Buprenorphine: new pharmacological aspects. Int J Clin Pract Suppl :133(3-8; discussion 23-4)2003 Feb

12235276. Rawls SM, Cowan A, Tallarida RJ, Geller EB, Adler MW, N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists and WIN 55212-2 [4,5-dihydro-2-methyl-4(4-morpholinylmethyl)-1-(1-naphthalenyl-carbonyl)-6H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-i,j]quinolin-6-one], a cannabinoid agonist, interact to produce synergistic hypothermia. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 303:1(395-402)2002 Oct

12151054. Radzievsky AA, Cowan A, Byrd C, Radzievsky AA, Ziskin MC, Single millimeter wave treatment does not impair gastrointestinal transit in mice. Life Sci 71:15(1763-70)2002 Aug 30

12044979. Rahim RT, Adler MW, Meissler JJ Jr, Cowan A, Rogers TJ, Geller EB, Eisenstein TK, Abrupt or precipitated withdrawal from morphine induces immunosuppression. J Neuroimmunol 127:1-2(88-95)2002 Jun

11923061. Gopal S, Tzeng TB, Cowan A, Characterization of the pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine in rats after intravenous bolus administration of buprenorphine. Eur J Pharm Sci 15:3(287-93)2002 Apr

11606031. Rahim RT, Meissler JJ Jr, Cowan A, Rogers TJ, Geller EB, Gaughan J, Adler MW, Eisenstein TK, Administration of mu-, kappa- or delta2-receptor agonists via osmotic minipumps suppresses murine splenic antibody responses. Int Immunopharmacol 1:11(2001-9)2001 Oct

11564781. Peng X, Cebra JJ, Adler MW, Meissler JJ Jr, Cowan A, Feng P, Eisenstein TK, Morphine inhibits mucosal antibody responses and TGF-beta mRNA in gut-associated lymphoid tissue following oral cholera toxin in mice. J Immunol 167:7(3677-81)2001 Oct 1

11303059. Huang P, Kehner GB, Cowan A, Liu-Chen LY, Comparison of pharmacological activities of buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine: norbuprenorphine is a potent opioid agonist. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 297:2(688-95)2001 May

11228098. Radzievsky AA, Rojavin MA, Cowan A, Alekseev SI, Radzievsky AA Jr, Ziskin MC, Peripheral neural system involvement in hypoalgesic effect of electromagnetic millimeter waves. Life Sci 68:10(1143-51)2001 Jan 26

11226822. Gopal S, Tzeng TB, Cowan A, Development and validation of a sensitive analytical method for the simultaneous determination of buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine in human plasma. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 51:2(147-51)2001 Mar

10823349. Radzievsky AA, Rojavin MA, Cowan A, Alekseev SI, Ziskin MC, Hypoalgesic effect of millimeter waves in mice: dependence on the site of exposure. Life Sci 66:21(2101-11)2000 Apr 14

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