Involvement of inducible nitric oxide synthase and nitrosative stress in vascular dysfunction in Diabetes

Cardiovascular complications are the major cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetes – a disease that affects millions of people worldwide. The lack of specific treatments for these complications is due, in part, to the poor understanding of the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms, e.g., the signalling pathways that might cause malfunction, and pathways that protect normal vascular function. In diabetes, there are changes in the ability of blood vessels to constrict and relax, which in turn can affect blood flow and blood pressure. Prabhakara Nagareddy is studying how blood vessels function in diabetes and the mechanisms directly relevant to the development of vascular disease. He is exploring the vasoconstrictory role of a well-known growth receptor (epidermal growth factor receptor) pathway and the vasodilatory inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) pathway in normal and diabetic arteries. By developing an understanding of how these pathways produce their effects, this research could facilitate the discovery of unique drug targets for future cardiovascular disease treatments, particularly for high blood pressure.