FACULTY
Eric Lazartigues
DIRECTOR OF MAJOR ACADEMIC ARE
LSUNO Pharmacology
- elazar@lsuhsc.edu
- Medicine
- Dr. Uma Priya Mohan was selected to receive the 2024 Research Recognition Award from the Neural Control and Autonomic Regulation of The American Physiological Society. Her award will be delivered during the NCAR section social meeting at the American Physiology Summit. (2/2024)
- Dr. Vahideh Tarhriz, PhD joins the lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow (9/2023).
- Dr. Eric Lazartigues was selected to present the 2023 Lewis K. Dahl Memorial Lecture at the American Heart Association Hypertension conference.
- New publication entitled “New approaches targeting the renin-angiotensin system: inhibition of brain aminopeptidase A, ACE2 ubiquitination, and angiotensinogen” published in Canadian Journal of Cardiology (6/2023).
- New collaborative paper entitled “Nedd4-2 upregulation is associated with ACE2 ubiquitination in hypertension” published in Cardiovascular Research (5/2023).
- Dr. Mona Elgazzaz received the 2023 Neural Control & Autonomic Regulation (NCAR) Section Research Recognition Award for postdoctoral research from The American Physiological Society (4/2023).
- Dr. Uma Priya Mohan, PhD joins the lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow (4/2023).
- Dr. Mohammed Alnoud, PhD joins the lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow (3/2023).
- Dr. Lazartigues receives the Louis Levy, II, MD Professorship of Research Cardiology (12/2022).
- Dr. Lazartigues was nominated Director of the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence at LSU Health - New Orleans (6/2022).
- Dr. Lazartigues was awarded a new 4-year R01 from NHLBI to study ACE2 downregulation in hypertension (4/2022).
- Dr. Mona Elgazzaz successfully defended her dissertation. She will graduate in May 2022. For now, she will remain within our group as a Postdocotoral Fellow. (4/2022)
- Dr. Mona Elgazzaz was selected to present her data in the Brain Control of Food intake and Peripheral Metabolism Topic sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. Her oral presentation is scheduled during the ADA 82nd Scientific Sessions meeting in New Orleans on June 5th 2022. (3/2022)
- Dr. Clara Berdasco was selected to receive the 2022 Endocrinology and Metabolism Section Steven M. Horvath Professional Opportunity Award and the Martin Frank Diversity Travel Award of The American Physiological Society. Dr. Berdasco was also selected to present her data in the New Investigator and Research Recognition Awards Session Featured Topic sponsored by the APS Endocrinology and Metabolism section. Her oral presentation is scheduled during the Experimental Biology meeting in Philadelphia on April 5th 2022. (2/2022)
- Dr. Navya Lakkappa was selected to present her data in the Cellular Signaling and Transduction Featured Topic sponsored by the APS Cell and Molecular Physiology section. Her oral presentation is scheduled during the Experimental Biology meeting in Philadelphia on April 3rd 2022. (2/2022)
- Dr. Mona Elgazzaz was selected to receive the 2022 Neural Control & Autonomic Regulation (NCAR) Section Steven M. Horvath Professional Opportunity Award of The American Physiological Society. Dr. Elgazzaz was also selected to present her data in the Neural Control of Glucose and Energy Homeostasis Featured Topic sponsored by NCAR. Her oral presentation is scheduled during the Experimental Biology meeting in Philadelphia on April 3rd 2022. (2/2022)
- We are honored to be one of the 19 recipients of the 2021 NIH Director's Transformative Research Awards. NIH Director's Transformative Research Award Program - Award Recipients. (10/2021)
- From our collaboration with Dr. Han-Jun Wang (University of Nebraska), "Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel Dysfunction in Dorsal Root Ganglia Contributes to the Exaggerated Exercise Pressor Reflex in Rats with Chronic Heart Failure" was accepted for publication in AJP Heart. (7/2021)
- From our collaboration with Dr. Franck Mauvais-Jarvis (Tulane University), "SARS-CoV-2 infection of the pancreas promotes thrombo-fibrosis and is associated with new-onset diabetes" was accepted for publication in JCI Insight. (7/2021)
- To support investigators interested in ACE2 research, we made our ACE2 conditional KO mouse available via the Mutant Mouse Resource and Research Center (B6J.B6N(Cg)-Ace2tm1c(KOMP)Wtsi/LazarMmucd, 066973-UCD). (5/2021)
- Mr. Md Abdul Awoal successfully defended his Master of Biomedical Sciences. (3/2021)
- Dr. Mona Elgazzaz was selected to present her data as an oral abstract presentation at the American Diabetes Association’s 81st Scientific Sessions. It will also be published on the journal Diabetes® website. (3/2021)
- Mr. Md. Abdul Awoal was selected to present his data in a Featured Topic sponsored by the Cell & Molecular Physiology Section. His oral presentation during the Experimental Biology meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 27 2021. (2/2021)
- Dr. Navya Lakkappa was selected to receive the 2021 Research Recognition Award from the Central Nervous System Section of The American Physiological Society. Dr. Lakkappa was also selected to present her data in a Featured Topic sponsored by the Neuro Control and Autonomic Regulation section. Her oral presentation during the Experimental Biology meeting will be held on Friday, April 30 2021. (2/2021)
- From our collaboration with Drs. Xinping Yue and Jason Gardner (LSUHSC-NO Physiology), Ms. Tamara Morris' manuscript entitled "Angiotensin-II type 1 receptor mediates pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular remodeling induced by inhaled nicotine" was accepted for publication in Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. (2/2021)
- Dr. Mona Elgazzaz was selected to receive the 2021 Research Recognition Award from the Gastrointestinal & Liver Physiology Section of The American Physiological Society. Dr. Elgazzaz was selected to present her data in a Featured Topic sponsored by the Translational Physiology Interest Group . Her oral presentation during the Experimental Biology meeting will be held on Friday, April 30 2021. (1/2021)
- From our collaboration with Dr. Catalin Filipeanu (Howard University), "Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor-Dependent Internalization of SARS-CoV-2 by Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2" was accepted for publication in Hypertension. (1/2021)
- Dr. Mona Elgazzaz's manuscript entitled " Epigenetic modifications of the renin-angiotensin system in cardiometabolic diseases " was accepted for publication in Clinical Sciences. This paper is featured on the cover of the January 2021 issue (12/2020)
- A new review from our lab to help researchers navigate through the various ACE2 murine models and their relevance to COVID-19. "ACE2 mouse models: a toolbox for cardiovascular and pulmonary research". (10/2020)
- Drs. Mazher Mohammed and Clara Berdasco manuscript entitled " Brain angiotensin converting enzyme-2 in central cardiovascular regulation " was accepted for publication in Clinical Sciences. (9/2020)
- From our collaboration with Dr. Catalin Filipeanu (Howard University), "The actin bundling protein fascin-1 as an ACE2-accessory protein" was accepted for publication in Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology. (8/2020)
- Dr. Jiaxi Xu was selected as a 2020 Paul Dudley White International Scholar for the highest ranked abstract submitted from China to the Hypertension 2020 Scientific Sessions from the American Heart Association. (7/2020)
- Drs. Thyago Queiroz and Navya Lakkappa manuscript entitled "ADAM17-mediated shedding of inflammatory cytokines in hypertension" was accepted for publication in Frontiers in Pharmacology-Inflammation Pharmacology section. (7/2020)
- Dr. Mona Elgazzaz was selected to receive the Top Trainee Advocacy Award from the American Heart Association-Hypertension Council. (7/2020)
- Dr. Jiaxi Xu manuscript entitled "Expression of ACE2 in Human Neurons Supports the Neuro-Invasive Potential of COVID-19 Virus" was accepted for publication in Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology. (7/2020)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
“From Gene to Function: the Role of the Renin-Angiotensin System in the Regulation of Cardiovascular Function”.
Project 1: ADAM17-mediated ACE2 shedding and neurogenic hypertension. This project was supported by a R01 grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (HL093178).
With prevalence higher than 33% in United States, hypertension remains an increasingly important medical and public health issue. Evidence has shown the importance of the brain renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the maintenance of normal blood pressure (BP) and in the neuro-cardiovascular dysregulation leading to increased sympathetic activity and hypertension. Moreover, clinical trials are currently ongoing to test the efficacy of novel techniques targeting the sympathetic nervous system. Angiotensin (Ang)-II, by means of its type 1 receptor (AT1R), promotes increased sympathetic tone, salt and water reabsorption, vasoconstriction, aldosterone and vasopressin release, all contributing to high BP. ACE2 (angiotensin converting enzyme type 2) is capable of processing Ang-II into the vasodilator peptide Ang-(1-7) and has been identified as a pivotal player in the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas receptor compensatory axis of the RAS. While numerous overexpression studies have established the benefits of ACE2 in preventing the progression and improving the treatment of hypertension in experimental models, our group and others have shown post-translational impairment of endogenous ACE2 in hypertension. ACE2 shedding, a process by which ACE2 is cleaved from the plasma membrane and secreted in the surrounding milieu, is one of these post-translational mechanisms. The central hypothesis of this proposal is that Ang-II promotes ACE2 shedding, leading to RAS over-activity and hypertension.
Project 2: Consequences of chronic nicotine inhalation for cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. This is a collaborative project with Dr. Jason Gardner and Dr. Xinping Yue from the department of Physiology at LSUHSC-NO. This project is supported by a R01 grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (HL135635).
Even though cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases (CVPD) including hypertension, vascular dysfunction and fibrosis, the direct effects and the molecular mechanisms of nicotine in the pathogenesis of these diseases have not been elucidated. Our data show that cigarette smoke or direct nicotine inhalation disrupts the homeostasis of the RAS in multiple tissues and cell types including the brain, heart and lungs, likely resulting in increased susceptibility to Ang-II-mediated CVPD. Taking advantage of the combined expertise of our multidisciplinary team, we use state-of-the-art molecular, cellular and pharmacological tools combined with unique transgenic and knockout murine models to assess the direct effects of inhaled nicotine on cardiovascular, autonomic and pulmonary functions.
Project 3: Compensatory RAS in type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes Mellitus is affecting 8.3% of
children and adults in United States. With 1.9 million new cases diagnosed in 2010,
diabetes is considered to be an epidemic. In addition, it is estimated that 79 million
people have prediabetes. Therefore, finding new treatments for diabetes is a significant
public health issue. A recent meta-analysis3 shows that renin-angiotensin system (RAS)
blockade with Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (ACEI) or Angiotensin
(Ang)-II type 1 receptor (AT1R) blockers (ARB) reduces the risk for new-onset Type
2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), the most common form of diabetes, in individuals with
hypertension or an elevated risk for cardiovascular events. Moreover, activation of
the RAS potentiates other pathogenic pathways including glucotoxicity, lipotoxicity
and advanced glycation. Accordingly, agents that counteract or block the RAS may have
potential for treatment of T2DM. We previously demonstrated that by promoting the
conversion of Ang-II into the vasodilatory peptide Ang-(1-7), ACE type 2 (ACE2) provides
a compensatory mechanism opposing the overactive RAS in T2DM, thus improving glucose
homeostasis and insulin secretion. However, we also observed that ACE2 expression
and activity are impaired during the development of T2DM. Therefore, the purpose of
this project is to identify mechanisms responsible for ACE2 decline and to implement
strategies to overcome this issue.
Please, find a complete list of the Lazartigues' lab publications here.
 |
Kevin Miao Undergraduate Student
|
 |
Uma Priya Mohan, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow |
 |
Luke Restivo Undergraduate Student |
|
|
Vahideh Tarhriz Postdoctoral Research Fellow |
Former Lab Members:
- Mazher Mohammed (Postdoctoral Associate: 2020-2022). Postdoctoral Researcher at Pennington Biomedical research Center, LA.
- Clara Berdasco (Postdoctoral Associate: 2020-2022). Postdoctoral Researcher in UC Riverside, CA.
- Navya Lakkappa (Postdoctoral Associate: 2019-2022). Postdoctoral Researcher in Dublin, Ireland.
- Md Abdul Awoal (Master Student: 2019-2020). Research Associate, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA.
- Charlotte Pearson (Research Associate: 2020-2021). Research Associate, BioInnovation Center, New Orleans, LA.
- Tamara M. Morris (Research Associate: 2019-2020). Graduate student, Interdisciplinary Program, LSUHSC-NO in New Orleans, LA.
- Nilgun Kuru (Visiting Professor: 2019-2020). Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.
- Jiaxi Xu, PhD (Postdoctoral Associate: 2014-2019). Assistant Professor at Xi'an Jiaotong University, PR China.
- Snigdha Mukerjee, PhD (PhD Student: 2014-2019). Postdoctoral Researcher at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
- Alynne Carvalho-Galvao (Exchange PhD Student: 2017-2018). PhD student at the Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Joao Pessoa, Brazil.
- Tyler Basting PhD (Postdoctoral Associate: 2016-2018). Medical Writer in Manassas, VA.
- Alberto Mendoza, MD (Clinician Scientist: 2013-2015). Cardiology Pediatrician at the University of Texas, Corpus Christi, TX.
- Thyago Moreira de Queiroz (Exchange PhD Student: 2013-2014).Professor at the Federal University de Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil.
- Matthew Deshotels, MSc (Master’s Student: 2012-2013). Internal Medicine Resident at Baylor College in Houston, TX.
- Harshita Chodavarapu, PhD (PhD Student: 2012-2017). Pharmacometrician at Certara.
- Melissa D. Scroggin, MSc (Master’s Student: 2011-2013). Doctor of Physical Therapy, New Orleans, LA.
- Kim Brint Pedersen, PhD (Postdoctoral Associate: 2010-2015). Research Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at LSUHSC-NO in New Orleans, LA
- Srinivas Sriramula, PhD (Postdoctoral Associate: 2010-2015). Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at the East Carolina University in Greenville, NC.
- Kavaljit Chhabra, PhD (PhD Student: 2009-2013). Assistant Professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
- Ping Xu, MD-PhD (Postdoctoral Associate: 2009-2010). Medical Affairs Manager at Danaher, San Francisco Bay Area, CA.
- Yanhui Cai, MSc (Graduate Student: 2009-2010). Scientist at Gilead Pharmaceuticals, CA.
- Sharell M. Bindom, PhD (MD-PhD Student: 2006-2009). Neonatologist in Hollywood, FL.
- Huijing Xia, PhD (Postdoctoral Associate: 2006-2011). Research Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at LSUHSC-NO in New Orleans, LA.
- Yumei Feng, MD-Ph.D. (Postdoctoral Associate: 2006-2010). Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology & Cell Biology at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Reno, NV.