Research Profile - College of Medicine and Health Science - United ...

Department of Physiology
around one year of age in the rat. These
investigations have included studies on
catecholamine metabolism and handling at
nerve endings, the levels of peptide markers as
well as sensory testing. More recently changes
in gene expression in sympathetic and dorsal
root ganglia have been studied using real time
RT-PCR. There have been dramatic differences
in the expression of genes encoding
neurotransmitter synthesis, transport,
metabolism and reuptake in different parts of
the sympathetic chain.
Changes in gene expression in the diabetic eye,
in sympathetic and dorsal root ganglia, corpus
cavernosum and vascular tissues are being
investigated by low density expression array in
studies funded by the Emirates Foundation and
the FMHS by Professors Adrian and Morrison.
Diabetes and heart function
Human and animal studies have shown that
diabetes can be associated with altered cardiac
function that is independent of vascular
complications. A variety of techniques including
biotelemetry, electrophysiology, molecular
biology and confocal microscopy are being
employed to investigate the cellular and subcellular
mechanisms which may be responsible
for contractility and heart rhythm defects in
the diabetic heart.
Acquisition of electrocardiography data in the
Biotelemetry Laboratory
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