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Functional role of the beta3-adrenoceptor in modulating the remodeling of the myocardium submitted to stress

Objective

"This project investigates the role of the beta3 adrenoceptor (β3-AR) in modulating the remodeling of the myocardium submitted to stress. Promising advances have been made in the host laboratory in showing that overexpression of the β3-AR in cardiac myocytes confers protection from pro-hypertrophic stimulus induced-remodeling. Preliminary data suggest that nitric oxide (NO) production by NO synthase (NOS), which is known to be coupled to the β3-AR signalling in the heart, is necessary for this protection to occur.
Our central hypothesis therefore is that the activation of the β3-AR protects against hypertrophic remodeling of the heart through NOS and, possibly protein kinase G (PKG) -dependent mechanisms.
The following stages of the research project will aim at 1) exploring the ability of the β3-AR to regulate remodeling in response to hemodynamic stresses of different severity; 2) ascertaining the specific role of the NOS isoform(s) in this protection; 3) unravelling the downstream effectors involved in the protective effects conferred by β3-AR activation; 4) investigating the co-localization of these key effectors with β3-AR in cellular microdomains, including caveolae; 5) studying the stage-specific- role of β3-AR signalling in the regulation of remodelling and function of stressed hearts from an inducible, cardiac specific, knockout mouse model.
These experiments will enhance our understanding of the pathophysiologic role of beta3-adrenoceptors, which are upregulated in the remodeling heart, opening the way for new therapeutic modalities for cardiac remodeling using agonists at these receptors."

Call for proposal

FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF
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Coordinator

UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN
EU contribution
€ 169 800,00
Address
PLACE DE L UNIVERSITE 1
1348 Louvain La Neuve
Belgium

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Region
Région wallonne Prov. Brabant Wallon Arr. Nivelles
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Jean-Luc Balligand (Prof.)
Links
Total cost
No data