Scientist, Lawson Health Research Institute Professor, Department of Medical Biophysics Professor, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology Each organ can locally control its own blood supply. It has been shown that this local control depends on the ability of the cells of vascular wall to respond to local metabolic signals, as well as on the ability of these cells to communicate with each other along the blood vessel length. The overall goal of our work is to determine how systemic inflammation (e.g., that developed during sepsis or ischemia/reperfusion) affects responsiveness and communication within the vascular wall. Approach: We use intravital video microscopy and laser Doppler flowmetry to measure blood flow responses to drugs applied locally to arterioles and capillaries in mouse and rat skeletal muscles. Endothelial cells harvested from these muscles are further studied by electrophysiology and molecular biology techniques.

Current projects address the role of agents associated with systemic inflammation (e.g., lipopolysaccharide, nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species) on arteriolar reactivity in vivo, and on endothelial cell-to-cell communication in vitro.  The protective effect of the antioxidant vitamin C against microvascular dysfunction in sepsis is also studied.

Local blood flow control in health and disease.