|
medical physiology :: Heart Research Programme
Project Leaders:
Prof A Lochner (Mail me)
Prof B Huisamen (Mail me)
Dr Hans Strijdom (Mail me)
Dr E Marais (Mail me)
Our research group forms part of the MRC Cape Heart Research Group and is located in the Division of Medical Physiology, Dept of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch. The mandate of our research programme is to pursue research into molecular and cellular aspects of different pathophysiological states of the myocardium, with special attention to the South African perspective and to develop strategies to curtail, prevent or abolish these changes.
In view of the above, our current focus is on:
- the phenomenon of myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury and the prevention thereof
- the cardiomyopathy associated with type 2 diabetes
- the heart in obesity
Current projects are the following:
- Intracellular signalling in ischaemic preconditioning- (exposure of the heart to one or more short episodes of ischaemia-reperfusion) and postconditioning- (repeated short episodes of reperfusion/ischaemia after exposure to a long period of ischaemia) induced cardioprotection
- Kinases and phosphatases in ischaemic preconditioning and postconditioning and their respective roles in cardioprotection
- Kinase activation and interactions in early reperfusion after ischaemia
- The mechanism of beta-adrenergic preconditioning
- The cardioprotective actions of melatonin and its interaction with the dual-specificity phosphatase MKP-1
- Insulin-induced cardioprotection: role of the beta-adrenergic pathway, nitric oxide and MKP-1
- Epac (exchange protein directly activated by cAMP) as alternative downstream mediator in ischaemic and beta-adrenergic preconditioning
- PKCepsilon overexpression and cardioprotection
- The effects of obesity on cardiac metabolism, function and tolerance to ischaemia
- An investigation into the early changes that occur in the heart after a switch from a frugal to a Westernized diet. This project focuses on the signalling pathways involved in fatty acid and glucose transport into the cell and their respective utilization as fuel substrates
- Early and late alterations in mitochondrial function in the heart in diet induced obesity
- The role of GSK-3 protein in the development of the cardiomyopathy associated with obesity and insulin resistance
- The effects of DPP-4 inhibitors on the heart, using rat models of diet induced obesity and insulin resistance
- An investigation into the alleged anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive effects of DiaviteTM, an over-the-counter plant-based substance.
- Development of methods to induce and evaluate dysfunction in an endothelial cell model
- Investigation into cellular mechanisms underlying the development of endothelial dysfunction
- Investigation into the effect of hypoxia and African medicinal plant extracts on endothelial dysfunction
- Paracrine effects of endothelial dysfunction in co-culture models with cardiomyocytes
Our laboratory is also involved in training of postgraduate students (B.Sc Hons, M.Sc and Ph.D.) who actively participate in the above-mentioned research projects.
Back to top
|
 |
