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CORE FACULTY : Professional Biography Arrow Read More Biographies
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John D. Catravas, Ph.D.
Regents' Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Director, Vascular Biology Center
Pharmacology & Toxicology
Phone: (706) 721-6338
Fax: (706) 721-9799
Office: CB-3211B / Lab: CB-3202


Research Interests
Vascular cell pathophysiology; pathophysiology of sepsis and ARDS; endothelial cell dysfunction; diagnosis of vascular disease; control of pulmonary vascular tone; pulmonary and coronary vascular toxicology.
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Current Projects

    catravas lab 3
  • Anti-inflammatory effects of hsp90 inhibitors.
  • Post-translational regulation of soluble guanylate cyclase.
  • Mechanisms controlling pulmonary endothelial permeability.
  • Pulmonary endothelium-bound angiotensin converting enzyme in pulmonary vascular disease.
  • Effect of estrogens in asthma
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Active Grant Support

R01-HL070214 (PI: Catravas) 4/15/03 - 03/30/08 25% Effort
NIH/NHLBI $225,000
Regulation of sGC in sGC/Hsp90/NOS complexes
The goals of this project are to examine the molecular composition and function of hsp90/sGC/NOS in systemic arterial endothelial and smooth muscle cells.

T32 HL66993 (PI: Catravas) 7/1/06-6/30/11 5% Effort
NIH/NHLBI $275,262 "Post Doctoral Training in Integrative Cardiovascular Biology"
Institutional Post-Doctoral Research Training Grant.

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Honors and Awards

  • Established Investigator of the American Heart Association,
    1985-1990.
  • Outstanding Research Award, American Lung Association, Georgia Affiliate, 1991.
  • Burroughs-Wellcome Travel Award, 1993.
  • Regents Professorship, 1995-
  • Fellow, Council on Basic Cardiovascular Science, American Heart Association.
  • Fellow, Council on Cardiopulmonary and Critical Care, American Heart Association.
  • Outstanding Research Award, Medical College of Georgia Research Institute, 2006.

Editorial Boards

  • Vascular Pharmacology, Editor-in-Chief (1999- present)
  • Pneumon (2006- present)
  • American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology (2005-present)
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Invited Speaker

2006

2nd Conference on Pulmonary Hypertension, Athens, Greece.

University of Pennsylvania Medical Center; Institute for Environmental Medicine. Philadelphia, PA.

Marshall University School of Medicine Department of Pharmacology, Huntington, WV.

International conference on Endothelial Function in Hypertension, Prague, Czech Republic.

International Congress on Steroid Hormones and Hormones in Cancer, Athens Greece.

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2007

Workshop on Sepsis; University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece.

International Society of Hypertension Annual Conference, Miami, Florida.

International Conference on cGMP - Dresden, Germany

Department of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.

European Respiratory Society Annual Meeting, Stockholm, Sweden

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Current and Past Trainees

Zheng, Jingmin, Post-Doctoral Fellow: 2006-present.

Drakopanayiotakis, Fotios, M.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow: 2005-2006.

Tian Xia, M.D., Ph.D.- Research Associate: 2004 - present.

Anuran Chatterjee- Ph.D. Student: 2002 - present.

Hera Lichtenbeld, Ph.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow: 2003.

Gunay Yetik, Ph.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow: 2003 - 2005.

Galina Antonova, M.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow: 2003 -2006.

Renuka Mehta, M.D.- Fellow: 2001 - 2004.

Laryssa McCloud, Ph.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow: 1998-2005.

Michael M. Maragoudakis, M.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow: 2002 - 2003.

Mahmood H. Khichi, M.D.- Fellow 1999 - 2002.

Hanfang Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.- Research Scientist: 1996 - 2001.

Lihua Zou, M.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow: 1998 - 2001.

Stephen Papizan, M.D.- Fellow: 1998 -2000

Michael Theodorakis, M.D.- Ph.D. Student: 1997 - 2000.

Xingwu Teng, M.D.- Ph.D. Student: 1996 - 2000.

Ramon Rivera, M.D.- Fellow: 1995 - 1998.

Ivan Horvath, M.D.- Post Doctoral Fellow: 1994 - 1996 .

Eleanora Tzoufi, M.D.- Post Doctoral Fellow: 1995 -1996.

Carolyn Go- Ph.D. Student: 1993 -1996.

Lynn Coule, M.D.- Fellow: 1994 -1996.

L. Eugene Fisher, M.D.- Fellow: 1992-1994.

Andreas Papapetropoulos- Ph.D. Student: 1991 -1994, Post Doctoral Fellow: 1994 -1995.

Attila Cziraki, M.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow: 1993 -1995.

Nandor Marczin, M.D.,Ph.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow: 1989 -1992, Instructor, 1992 -1994.

Stylianos Orfanos, M.D., Ph.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow: 1986-1989, Instructor, 1990-1993

Xilin Chen, M.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow, 1987-1989, Ph.D. student 1989-1992.

Stavros Topouzis, Ph.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow, 1990-1992

Alain Legrand, Ph.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow, 1986-1988.

Hassan El Kashef - Ph.D. Student, 1984-1987. Post Doctoral Fellow: 1987-1988.

Hannu Toivonen, Ph.D., M.D.- Post-Doctoral Fellow: 1985-87.

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Publications (since 2001)


Catravas, J.D. and Dimitropoulou, C. Pulmonary Endothelial Function and Dysfunction in Pulmonary Hypertension. Hormones (in press).

Mensah, G.A., Catravas, J.D., Engelgau, M.M., Hooper, W.G., Maddedu, P., Ryan, U.S., She, J-X., Reed, E., Vinicor, F. and Yacoub, M.H. Vascular endothelium summary statement VI: Research directions for the 21st century. Vasc. Pharm. (in press)

Chatterjee A, Dimitropoulou C, Drakopanayiotakis F, Antonova G, Snead C, Venema RC, Cannon JG and Catravas JD Hsp90 inhibitors prolong survival and reduce inflammation in sepsis-induced acute lung injury. Nature Medicine (submitted)

Antonova, G., Xia, T., Dimitropoulou, C. and Catravas, J.D Functional significance of hsp90 complexes with NOS and sGC in endothelial cells. In: Endothelial cells in Health and Hypertension, ed. by J.F. Stoltz and A. Kadi, IOS Press 2007 (in press).

Hooper WC, Catravas JD, Heistad DD, Sessa WC, Mensah GA. Vascular endothelium summary statement I: Health promotion and chronic disease prevention. Vascul Pharmacol. 2006 Nov 22; [Epub ahead of print]

Antonova G, Snead C, Antonov A, Dimitropoulou C, Venema RC, Catravas JD. Nitric Oxide Preconditioning Regulates Endothelial Monolayer Integrity Via The Heat Shock Protein 90 - Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Pathway. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2006 Sep 29; [Epub ahead of print]

Yetik-Anacak G, Catravas JD. Nitric oxide and the endothelium: history and impact on cardiovascular disease. Vascul Pharmacol. 45:268-76, 2006.

Yetik-Anacak G, Xia T, Dimitropoulou C, Venema RC, Catravas JD. Effects of hsp90 binding inhibitors on sGC-mediated vascular relaxation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 291:H260-8, 2006.

Zhang Q, Church JE, Jagnandan D, Catravas JD, Sessa WC, Fulton D. Functional relevance of Golgi- and plasma membrane-localized endothelial NO synthase in reconstituted endothelial cells. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 26:1015-21, 2006.

Dimitropoulou C, Chatterjee A, McCloud L, Yetik-Anacak G, Catravas JD. Angiotensin, bradykinin and the endothelium. Handb Exp Pharmacol.176:255-94, 2006.

Catravas JD. Vascular endothelium: Translating discoveries into public health practice-Part I. Vascul Pharmacol. 45(5):251-2, 2006.

Papapetropoulos, A., Zhou, Z., Gerassimou, C., Venema, R.C., Roussos, C., Sessa, W.C. and Catravas, J.D. Interaction between hsp90 and soluble guanylyl cyclase: physiological significance and mapping of the domains mediating binding. Mol Pharmacol. 68(4):1133-41, 2005.

Tawfik A, Jin L, Banes-Berceli AK, Caldwell RB, Ogbi S, Shirley A, Barber D, Catravas JD, Stern DM, Fulton D, Caldwell RW, Marrero MB. Hyperglycemia and reactive oxygen species mediate apoptosis in aortic endothelial cells through Janus kinase 2. Vascul Pharmacol. 43(5):320-6, 2005.

Wheeler DS, Fisher LE, Jr, Catravas JD, Jacobs BR, Carcillo JA, Wong HR. Serum HSP 70 levels in children with septic shock. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 6(3):308-11, 2005. catravas lab 6
Dimitropoulou, C., White, R. E., Ownby, D. R., and Catravas, J. D. Estrogen reduces carbachol-induced constriction of airway smooth muscle by stimulating BKCa channels. Am J Lung Cell Mol Biol. 32(3):239-47, 2005.

McCloud, L. Hoffman, W. and Catravas, J.D. Pulmonary endothelium-bound angiotensin converting enzyme in diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis. In: Cellular Dysfunction in Atherosclerosis and Diabetes. Ed. by M. Simionescu, A. Sima and D. Popov ; Romanian Academy Publishing House, Bucharest, 2005. Pages: 175-188.

Myers GL, Rifai N, Tracy RP, Roberts WL, Alexander RW, Biasucci LM, Catravas JD, Cole TG, Cooper GR, Khan BV, Kimberly MM, Stein EA, Taubert KA, Warnick GR, Waymack PP. CDC/AHA Workshop on Markers of Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease: Application to Clinical and Public Health Practice: report from the laboratory science discussion group. Circulation 110(25):e545-9, 2004.

McCloud, L.L., Parkerson, J.B., Zhou, L., Rao, R.N. and Catravas, J.D. Reduced pulmonary endothelium-bound angiotensin converting enzyme activity In diabetic rabbits. Vasc. Pharmacol. 41:159-165, 2004.

Jules-Elysee, K., Blanck, T.J.J., Catravas, J.D., Chimento, G., Miric, A., Kahn, R., Paroli, L., Sculco, T. Angiotensin converting enzyme activity: a novel way of assessing pulmonary changes during total knee arthroplasty. Anesth. Analg. 99: 1018-1023, 2004.

Wheeler DS, Catravas JD, Odoms K, Denenberg AG, Malhotra V, Wong HR. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a green tea-derived polyphenol, inhibits IL-1-dependent proinflammatory signal transduction in cultured respiratory epithelial cells. J Nutr. 134(5):1039-44, 2004.

McCloud LL, Parkerson JB, Freant L, Hoffman WH, Catravas JD. beta-hydroxybutyrate induces acute pulmonary endothelial dysfunction in rabbits. Exp Lung Res. 30(3):193-206, 2004.

Venema, R.C., Venema, V.J., Ju, H., Harris, M.B., Snead, C., Dimitropoulou, C., Catravas, J.D. Novel complexes of guanylate cyclase with heat shock protein 90 and nitric oxide synthases enhance cyclase activity. Amer. J.Physiol..Heart 285: H669-H678, 2003.

Abou-Mohamed, G., A. El-Marakby, J.D. Catravas, G.O. Carrier, R.W., Caldwell, and R.E. White. Estradiol relaxes rat aorta via endothelium-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Pharmacology 69(1):20-6, 2003.

White, R.E, Han, G., Maunz, M., Dimitropoulou, C., El-Mowafy, A., Barlow, R.S., Catravas, J.D., Snead, C., Carrier, G.O., Zhu, S. and Yu, X. Endothelium-independent effect of estrogen on Ca2+-activated K+ channels in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells. Cardiovasc Res. 53:650-661, 2002.

Teng, X., Li, D., Catravas, J.D. and Johns, R.A. C/EBP-ß mediates iNOS induction by hypoxia in rat pulmonary microvascular smooth muscle cells. Circ. Res. 09: 125-127, 2002.

Teng, X., Zhang, H., Snead, C., and Catravas, J. Molecular mechanisms of iNOS induction by IL-1ß and interferon-? in rat aortic smooth muscle cells. Amer. J. Physiol. 282: C144-C152, 2002.

Papapetropoulos, A., Andriopoulos, S., Go, C.Y., Hoque, A., Fuchs, L.C. and Catravas, J.D. Regulation of Nitric Oxide Synthase - Nitric Oxide - cGMP pathway in rat mesenteric endothelial cells. J. Appl. Physiol. 91: 2553-2560, 2001.

Cziraki, A., Horvath, I., Rubin, J.W., Theodorakis, M. and Catravas, J.D. Quantification of pulmonary capillary endothelium-bound angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition in man. Gen Pharmacol. 35: 213-218, 2002.

Beswick, R., Zhang, H., Marable, D., Catravas, J.D., Hill, W.D. and Webb, R.C. Long term antioxidant administration attenuates mineralocorticoid hypertension and renal inflammatory response. Hypertension. 37:781-786, 2001.

Orfanos, S., Zou, L., and Catravas, J. Pharmacodynamics, tissue-specificity of ACE inhibitors. In: Milestones in Drug Therapy. ed. by D'Orléans-Juste, P., Plante, G.E., Birkhäuser, Basel 2001. pp. 163-170, 2001

Zhang H., Snead C., and Catravas, J. Nitric oxide differentially regulates induction of type II nitric oxide synthase in rat vascular smooth muscle cells vs. Macrophages. Arter. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 21:529-535, 2001.

Orfanos, S. E., Psevdi, E., Stratigis, N., Langleben, D., Catravas, J.D., Kyriakidis, M., Moutsopoulos, H.M., Roussos, C. and Vlachogiannopoulos, P.G. Pulmonary Capillary Endothelial Dysfunction in Early Systemic Scleroderma. Arthr Rheum 44: 902-911, 2001.

Dimitropoulou, C., White, R., Fuchs, L., Zhang, H., Catravas, J., and Carrier, G. Angiotensin II Relaxes Microvessels Via the AT2 Receptor and Ca2+-Activated K+ (BKCa) Channels. Hypertension. 37: 301-307, 2001.

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Education and Training

Yale University
PostDoc 1980 Pulmonary Endothelial Pathophysiology & Pharmacology

University of Mississippi
Ph.D. 1978 Pharmacology

University of Mississippi
M.S. 1975 Pharmacology

Cornell College
B.A. 1972 Chemistry and Physics
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Research Experience & Academic Appointments

1995- Present Regents Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
1995- Present Director, Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
1990-1995 Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
1993 Visiting Professor, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Royal Brompton Hospital and Harefield Hospital, National Heart & Lung Institute, London, United Kingdom (Prof. Sir M. Yacoub)
1986-1990 Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
1985-1990 Established Investigator of the American Heart Association
1981-1986 Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
1980-1981 Research Associate, Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
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Committees


International:
  • Consultant, Ministry of National Education and Religion, Greece, 1997-
  • Editor in Chief, Vascular Pharmacology, 1999-
National:
  • Ad Hoc member, Vascular Cell and Molecular Biology Study Section, NIH.
  • Ad Hoc member, Gastrointestinal Cell and Molecular Biology Study Section, NIH.
  • Ad Hoc Member Pathophysiology Fellowships (F10) Study Section.
  • Ad Hoc Member Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Organ Systems Study Section, NIH.
  • Ad Hoc Member National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Special Emphasis Panel.
  • Member, Special Emphasis Grant Review Panel ZHL1 CSR-A(F1) on "Research Career Development Program in Vascular Medicine", NIH.
  • Member, American Heart Association, South East Affiliate, Grant Review Committee 1 (2005- present); Co-Chair: 2006; Chair: 2007.
State:
  • Research Grant Review Group, American Lung Association of Georgia, 2003-present.
Institutional:
  • Chair, Cardiovascular Disease Steering Committee (2000- present)
  • Director, Post-Doctoral training in Integrative Cardiovascular Biology Program (2001- present)
  • Member, Admissions Committee, School of Medicine (2004-2007).
  • Co-Chair, Research Planning Committee, School of Medicine (2006-present)
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Collaborations


Mario Marrero, Ph.D. (Vascular Biology Center)
The JAK/STAT pathway on the effects of hyperglycemia in bovine aortic and pulmonary arterial endothelial cells.

David Fulton, Ph.D. (Vascular Biology Center) Live Cell Imaging of hsp90-sGC complexes.

Richard Venema, Ph.D. (Vascular Biology Center) Molecular regulation of hsp90-sGC complexes in vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells.

Christiana Dimitropoulou, Ph.D. (Pharmacology & Toxicology) Estrogen effects on airway smooth muscle.

Alexander Verin, Ph.D. (Vascular Biology Center) Modulation of TGFß-induced pulmonary endothelial hyperpermeability by hsp90 inhibitors.

Stephen Black, Ph.D. (Vascular Biology Center) Modulation of zinc homeostasis in endothelial cells by hsp90 inhibitors.

Andreas Papapetropoulos, Ph.D. (University of Patras, Greece) Post-translational regulation of soluble guanylate cyclase.

David Langleben, M.D. (McGill University) and Stylianos Orfanos, M.D. (University of Athens, Greece) Endothelium-bound angiotensin converting enzyme in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

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Copyright 2005
Medical College of Georgia
All rights reserved.

Vascular Biology Center  |  Medical College of Georgia
Please email comments, suggestions or questions to:
David Stepp, dstepp@mcg.edu.

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