Molecular
Dynamics In Heart Failure: The research program has three areas
of focused study: cardiac muscle receptors and cytoskeletal proteins,
programmed cell death molecules, and the regulation of norepinephrine
release and recovery by adrenergic nerves. The studies utilize
animal models with spontaneous and engineered genetic defects
selected protein expression in cardiac muscle cells and in adrenergic
nerves. Studies are conducted in intact animals, ex vivo
hearts, isolated single heart muscle cells, and in isolated cardiac
adrenergic nerve vesicles or surrogate adrenergic nerve cell models.
The hypotheses under investigation relate to alterations in cardiac
myocyte viability and contractile performance during progressive
onset of heart failure. Paradigms include the study of responses
to specific receptor targeted molecules and to their effect on
the evolution events that are postulated to contribute to heart
failure. We monitor effects and changes with echocardiographic,
hemodynamic, molecular scintigraphic, and proteomic methods.
Collaborations:
The research program is conducted in collaboration with Myron
C. Gerson, MD (Department of Internal Medicine-Cardiology and
Department of Radiology-Nuclear Medicine), Lee C. Washburn, PhD
(Department of Radiology-Radiochemistry), and Stephen B. Liggett,
MD (Internal Medicine-Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine).
Publications
