Role of endothelial vasodilator mechanisms in cardiovascular control during diabetes

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/236872

Funding Status
Closed

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Funded Activity Summary

Cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and heart attack are the greatest killers in developed societies such as Australia. We now know that a number of metabolic disorders, and genetic and lifestyle factors, can increase the likelihood of individuals developing cardiovascular disease later in life, such as obesity, diabetes, and smoking. In many cases, individuals with these risk factors also have high blood pressure, which is a known cause of stroke and heart attack. This seems to be a particular problem in patients with diabetes, a condition that currently affects around 150 million people worldwide. Indeed, almost 70% of patients that develop diabetes in later life, also develop high blood pressure. The aim of the studies outlined in this application is to increase our understanding of the way diabetes affects blood pressure. High blood pressure often accompanies established diabetes, but we have recent evidence that suggests that a gas (nitric oxide) made by the cells that line blood vessels (endothelial cells) and in nerve cells, protects the cardiovascular system from hypertension during the onset of diabetes. Our experiments will show whether the 'protective' nitric oxide comes from nerves or the endothelial cells, and how it affects various blood pressure control mechanisms in diabetes. Our experiments will also show whether this protective action of nitric oxide is eventually lost as the organ damage that occurs in diabetes proceeds. This information should help in the design of new drug treatments and other therapies aimed at reducing the occurrence of high blood pressure, and hence cardiovascular disease, in diabetes.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2003

End Date: 01-01-2005

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $225,500.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Medical molecular engineering of nucleic acids and proteins

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

Blood pressure | Diabetes | Endothelial dysfunction | Endothelium-dependent relaxation | Hypertension | Nitric oxide | Renal circulation | Renal failure | Renal function

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