Administration Basic Sciences Clinical Sciences Centers of Excellence
 
 

Kurt J. Varner, Ph.D. Laboratory

Graduate Students:
 Sarah Mahne

Pediatric Cardiology Fellow
Jason Turner, MD

Staff:
Elizabeth McIlwain

Research Interests

Research interests involve determining the mechanisms by which oxidative stress produces cardiac dysfunction. There are currently 2 major areas of research interest in my laboratory. 
1) We are also studying the cardiovascular and cardiac toxicity produced by the inhalation of combustion-generated fine and ultrafine particulates.  Our colleagues data show that these combustion generated particles may contain environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFR).  Our studies are addressing the hypothesis that that these EPFRs produce cardiac toxicity by the combined actions of lung-derived systemic inflammation and localized oxidant and inflammatory actions at the level of the heart.  2) The second project involves the examination and characterization of the cardiac, cardiovascular, cardiovascular reflex and sympathetic nerve responses elicited by the acute and chronic administration of sympathomimetic stimulants.  Biochemical, molecular biological and proteomic approaches are being used to identify the mechanisms underlying stimulant induced cardiac dysfunction.In addition, I am the director of the Cardiovascular Function Core Facility in the Department of Pharmacology at LSUHSC.

 Project 1

 Project 2

 Recent publications

Shenouda S.K., Lord, K.C., McIlwain, E., Lucchesi, P.A. and Varner, K.J.  Ecstasy produces left ventricular dysfunction and oxidative stress in rats.  Cardiovasc. Res. 79:662-70, 2008.PMC2732062

Blumer, J.B., Lord, K., Saunders, T.L., Pacchioni, A., Black, C., Lazartigues, E., Varner, K.J., Gettys, T. W. and Lanier, S.M. Activator of G-protein signaling 3 null mice: I.  unexpected alterations in metabolic and cardiovascular function.  Endocrinology 149: 3842-3849, 2008. PMC2488243

Shenouda, S.K. Varner, K.J., Carvalho, F. and Lucchesi, P.A.  Metabolites of MDMA induce oxidative stress and contractile dysfunction in adult rat left ventricular myocytes.  Cardiovasc. Tox. 9(1): 30-38, 2009. NIHMS193762

Lord, K.C., Shenouda, S.K., McIlwain, E., Charalampidis, D., Lucchesi, P.A. and Varner, K.J.  Oxidative stress contributes to methamphetamine-induced left ventricular dysfunction.  Cardiovasc.  Res.  2010, Doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvq043.

Walsh, M., Dellinger, B., Cormier, S., and Varner, K.J.  By products of the thermal treatment of hazardous waste, formation and health effects.  EM, in press, 2010.

Molina, P.E., Winsauer, P., Walker, E., Birke, L., Amedee, A., Zhang, P., Vande Stouwe, C., Troxclair, D., Byerley, L., Lamotte, L. and Varner K.J.  Cannabinoid administration attenuates the progression of  siminian immunodeficiency virus.  AIDS Res Human Retroviruses, in press, 2010.


PubMed Publication Search

Cardiovascular Function Core

Dr. Varner is also the director of the Cardiovascular Function Core Facility in the Department of Pharmacology. This core facility is funded in part by the COBRE grant (P20-RR018766) awarded to  Daniel Kapusta, Ph.D. and Patrice Delafontaine, MD. This core facility was established to provide in vivo models to study cardiovascular function. The following techniques are routinely used in our facility.

  • Radio telemetric monitoring of arterial pressure, heart rate and ECG
  • Ultrasonic imaging and analysis
  • Analysis of left ventricular function in vivo using Millar pressure-volume catheters
  • Sympathetic nerve recording
  • Acute cardiovascular recording
  • Microinjeciton
  • Analysis of heart rate variability
  • Complete pulmonary function

 

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