Role Of Urotensin II, A Novel Vasoconstrictor Factor, In Cardiovascular Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$196,018.00
Summary
Urotensin II (UII) is a newly discovered peptide that may play an important role in human health and disease. It has been found to be a potent constrictor (narrower) of blood vessels and therefore may be involved in diseases such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart failure (weak heart muscle disease). Furthermore, many other factors that constrict blood vessels have also been found to have effects on key organs, such as the heart. Our preliminary data suggests that this is also true ....Urotensin II (UII) is a newly discovered peptide that may play an important role in human health and disease. It has been found to be a potent constrictor (narrower) of blood vessels and therefore may be involved in diseases such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart failure (weak heart muscle disease). Furthermore, many other factors that constrict blood vessels have also been found to have effects on key organs, such as the heart. Our preliminary data suggests that this is also true of urotensin II. The proposal studies seek to determine the role of urotensin II in the : (i) periphery, by assessing contraction of forearm vessels to low doses of UII in normal volunteer subjects and patients with hypertension and heart failure; (ii) heart, by measuring expression of UII and its receptor in normal and failing human heart tissue; the UII response to experimental heart attack in the rat and in cell culture of important heart cells; (iii) general circulation, by measuring plasma levels in health and disease. The significance of this project is that if it is found that UII plays an important role in these diseases, then agents that block this system may represent a major therapeutic advance in the management of these diseases.Read moreRead less
Coronary Atherosclerosis And Its Relationship With Platelet Activation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$101,039.00
Summary
Blood clots are critical to the development of heart attacks, which kill many thousands of Australians annually. Platelets are cells in the blood that play an essential role in formation of blood clots, and coronary disease is associated with platelet activation. This research study will investigate the nature of platelet activation in the arteries of the human heart, its relationship to activation of inflammatory cells, and to the severity of narrowings in the arteries of the human heart.
Ultrasonic Blood Pressure Measurement On Implanted Biomedical Surfaces
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$170,250.00
Summary
The project would develop a prototype device reporting blood pressure on a biomedical implant surface. The device would extract data in real time from a standard ultrasound scanner that images the implant. The School of Mathematical Sciences at Monash University will be contracted to develop this ultrasound pressure sensor.
Time-domain Analysis Of Right Ventricular-pulmonary Arterial Coupling As A Windkessel And Wave System.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$64,631.00
Summary
We seek to determine the number of people affected by pulmonary arterial hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) in Tasmania by collecting information from echocardiograms (heart ultrasounds). This is important because the incidence and prevalence is unknown but suspected to be unusually high in Tasmania. Also simultaneous pulmonary arterial pressure and velocity waves will be studied in humans to model pulmonary flow in an attempt to recognise pulmonary arterial hypertension earlier.