Mary
I. Townsley, Ph.D.
Professor
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Department
of Physiology,
University
of South Alabama
College
of Medicine
MSB 3074
Mobile,
AL 36688
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Ph.D.,
University of California, Davis.
Postdoctoral Studies:
University of South Alabama
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Research
Interests:
The work in my laboratory focuses upon
structural and functional adaptations in lung
to heart failure, encompassing two major
areas for study at the present time.
Regulation of endothelial barrier function
after heart failure and the relation of this
to structural remodeling of the alveolar
septum is the primary focus of our
investigations. Pacing-induced heart failure
leads to septal remodeling and thickening of
the endothelial layer of the septal barrier.
To address whether this structural change
contributes to alterations in pulmonary
endothelial permeability, we used specific
measures of endothelial permeability in lung
lobes isolated after heart failure. After
heart failure induced by either rapid
ventricular pacing or arterio-venous fistula,
the lung endothelium is refractory to injury
induced by brief episodes of high vascular
pressure, treatment with angiotensin II (AII),
or thapsigargin, an inhibitor of the
endoplasmic reticulum Ca++ ATPase
which evokes store-depletion. Ongoing work is
directed at testing the hypothesis that this
signaling pathway regulating lung endothelial
permeability involves the action of
cytochrome P450 epoxygenases, enzymes which
metabolize arachidonic acid to produce a
family of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids or EETs,
and further that this pathway is functionally
"down-regulated" after heart
failure. The second major focus in the
laboratory is the relation between pulmonary
hypertension in heart failure, remodeling of
pulmonary resistance microvessels, and
turnover of interstitital matrix collagens
and glycosaminoglycans.
Recent Publications:
- Townsley MI, Fu Z, Mathieu-Costello O,
West JB. Pulmonary microvascular
permeability: responses to high vascular
pressure after induction of pacing-induced
heart failure in dogs. Circ. Res.
1995; 77:317-325.
- Townsley MI, Neal C, Michel CC. High
vascular pressure injury. In: Connective
Tissue Biology: Integration and
Reductionism. Reed RK, Rubin K, Eds.,
Portland Press, London, 1998, pp. 207-220.
- Townsley MI. Hydrostatic pulmonary edema.
In: Pulmonary Edema. Matthay M,
Ingbar D, Eds., Marcel Dekker, New York,
1998, pp. 163-202.
- Ivey CL, Roy BJ, Townsley MI. Ablation of lung
endothelial injury after pacing-induced
heart failure is related to alterations
in calcium signaling. Am. J.
Physiol. 1998; 275:H844-H851.
- Ivey CL, Stephenson AH, Townsley MI. Involvement of cytochrome
P450 enzyme activity in the control of
microvascular permeability in canine lung.
Am. J. Physiol. 1998; 275:L756-L763.
- McMillon RK, Townsley MI. a-Adrenergic
vasoreactivity of canine intrapulmonary
bronchial arteries in pacing-induced
heart failure. Am. J. Physiol.
1999; 277:H1392-H1402.
- Townsley MI, Snell KS, Ivey CL, Culberson
DE, Liu D, Reed RK, Mathieu-Costello O. Remodeling of
interstitium but not extra-alveolar
resistance vessels in canine pacing-induced
heart failure. J. Appl. Physiol.
1999; 87:1823-1830.
Mailing Address:
Department of Physiology
Room 3074 Medical Sciences Building
University of South Alabama
Mobile, Alabama 36688
Phone: 251-460-6815
FAX: 251-460-6464
Click here for Dr. Townsley's complete Curriculum Vitae
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