Our lab is primarily interested in understanding the effects of sex steroids on cardiovascular function. Our main project focuses on how estrogen affects women's health. We use a variety of techniques (e.g., patch-clamp electrophysiology, molecular biology, tissue physiology) to investigate how estrogen alters blood vessel activity. Dr. Guichun Han is interested in investigating the direct effects of estrogen on human coronary smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Dr. Christiana Dimitropoulou is developing another focus for our estrogen research: the role of estrogen in asthma and pulmonary function. We are also studying the effects of testosterone on arteries, and trying to understand how this hormone influences cardiovascular health in males. In addition to these ongoing funded projects, we are developing several new avenues of research. We are interested in understanding the molecular regulation of the retinal microcirculation, and are examining the role of ion channels in retinal pericyte function. These cells regulate capillary blood flow in the retina, yet very little is know about their function. Retinal microvessels are altered in diabetes, and we are trying to understanding how this disease produces blindness. We are also collaborating with Dr. Scott Barman to understand the molecular basis of pulmonary hypertension by investigating the role of BKCa potassium channels in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. In collaboration with Dr. John Imig, we are also investigating the role these channels play in regulating the renal microvasculature.
Estrogen dual effects on coronary arteries
P.I.: R.E. White, Ph.D. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Nongenomic mechanisms of androgens in the vascular wall
Co-Investigator: R.E. White, Ph.D. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
PKC signaling in cAMP-induced pulmonary vasodilation
Co-Investigator: R.E. White, Ph.D. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Role of icosanoids in renal function
Co-Investigator: R. E. White, Ph.D. National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases
Are there any current projects your Lab is working on
Dr. Guichun Han - Assistant Research Scientist
Dr. Christiana Dimitropoulou - Instructor
Jason O. Burnette - M.D./Ph.D. student
Rajesh Chintala - Ph.D. student
Shu Zhu - Ph.D. student
Handong Ma - Research Assistant
Nancy Godin - Research Assistant
Louise Meadows - part-time Research Assistant
Aruna Natarajan, M.D. - Georgetown University (collaborator)
Gerald O. Carrier, Ph.D. - Collaborator Emeritus
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Research Scholarship, Centers for Disease Control, 1976.
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Graduate Student Research Award, Southeastern Pharmacology Society, 1983. ASPET Travel Award, 1985.
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Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities, 1986.
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Faculty Scholarship for Outstanding Graduate Student, Medical College of Georgia, 1986. Ph.D. conferred with highest distinction, 1987
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National Junior Investigator Achievement Award, National Heart Foundation, 1993
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Biomedical Research Award, American Federation for Aging Research, 1996
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Who's Who In Science and Engineering, 1996-1997
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Outstanding Junior Faculty Member, Wright State University School of Medicine, 1996 - 97
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Faculty Research Award, Medical College of Georgia, 2000
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Fellow, American Heart Association and Council for Basic Cardiovascular Science, 2001 - present
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Pharmacology Teacher of the Year Award, MCG-SOM, 2002, 2003, 2004
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Fellow, American Heart Association Council for High Blood Pressure Research, 2002 - present
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Distinguished Alumni Lecture, Graduate Research Awards Banquet, MCG, 2004
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Distinguished Teaching Award, School of Graduate Studies, MCG, 2004
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Editorial Board, Vascular Pharmacology, 2004-present
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Who's Who of Professionals, 2004 - 2005
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Who's Who in Medical Sciences Education, 2005
April 20, 1987 Department of Physiology, Duke University Medical Center.
May 4, 1988 Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine.
March 17, 1989 Laboratory of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, NIEHS.
April 5, 1991 Transport Conference, Duke University Medical Center.
April 9, 1992 Neurobiology Colloquia, University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
May 28, 1992 Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center.
July 23, 1992 Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Wright State University Sch. Medicine.
August 17, 1992 Department of Physiology & Biophysics, UTMB at Galveston.
December 16, 1993 Department of Pharmacology, Ohio State University School of Medicine.
March 28, 1995 Department of Cardiology, VA Hospital, Wright State Univ. Sch. Medicine.
March 11, 1996 Department of Physiology, NE Ohio Universities College of Medicine.
March 29, 1996 Laboratory of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, NIEHS.
April 12, 1996 Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Wright State University Sch. Medicine.
June 1, 1996 American Federation for Aging Research Conference, New York.
February 26, 1997 Department of Biology, Wright State University.
November 6, 1997 Internal Medicine Resident Conference, Wright State University Sch. Medicine.
November 6, 1997 Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Wright State Univ. Sch. Medicine.
March 27, 1998 Women's Health Center, Wyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceutical Corporation.
May 12, 1998 Central Research Forum Lecture, Wright State University Sch. Medicine.
June 12, 1998 Vascular Biology Center/Dept. of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical Col. of Georgia.
November 13, 1998 Ohio Physiological Society Annual Conference.
December 16, 1998 Department of Endocrinology, Wayne State Univ. Sch. Health Science Center.
March 10, 1999 Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky School of Medicine.
November 2, 1999 Laboratory of Signal Transduction, NIEHS.br>
October 9, 2001 Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia.
March 5, 2002 Cardiovascular Research Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine.
April 1, 2002 Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia.
September 19, 2003 Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Wright State University School of Medicine.
September 26, 2004 Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia.
April 6, 2005 Biology Honors Program, University of Georgia, .
April 28, 2005 DeBakey Cardiovascular Research Institute, Texas A&M University.
October 17, 2005 Department of Veterninary Pharmacology & Physiology, Texam A&M University.
January 17, 2006 Basic Science Conference, Division of Endocrinology, UCLA Medical Center.
(from a total of 45; * indicates student/postdoctoral scientist)
White, R.E. and H.C. Hartzell. Effects of intracellular free magnesium on calcium current in isolated cardiac myocytes. Science 239: 778-780, 1988.
White, R.E. and G.O. Carrier. Enhanced adrenergic neuroeffector system in diabetes: Importance of calcium. Am. J. Physiol. 255: H1036-H1042, 1988.
White, R.E., A. Schonbrunn, and D.L. Armstrong. Somatostatin stimulates Ca2+-activated K+ channels through protein dephosphorylation. Nature 351: 570-573, 1991.
White, R.E., A.B. Lee, A.D. Shcherbatko, T.M. Lincoln, A. Schonbrunn, and D.L. Armstrong. Potassium channel stimulation by natriuretic peptides through cGMP-dependent dephosphorylation. Nature 361:263-266, 1993.
White, R.E., D.J. Darkow*, and J. L. Falvo Lang*. Estrogen relaxes coronary arteries by opening BKCa channels through cGMP-dependent mechanisms. Circulation Research 77:936-942, 1995.
Darkow, D.J.* , L. Lu, and R.E. White. Estrogen relaxation of coronary smooth muscle is mediated by nitric oxide and cGMP. Am. J. Physiol. 272:H2765-H2773, 1997.
Barlow, R.S.* and R.E. White. Hydrogen peroxide relaxes porcine coronary arteries by stimulating BKCa channel activity. Am. J. Physiol. 275:H1283-H1289, 1998.
Han, G.*, J.P. Kryman*, P.J.P. McMillin*, R.E. White, and G.O. Carrier. A novel transduction mechanism mediating dopamine-induced vascular relaxation: opening of BKCa channels by cyclic AMP-induced stimulation of the cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase. J. Cardiovasc. Pharmacol. 34:619-27, 1999.
White, R.E., J.P. Kryman*, A.M. El-Mowafy*, G. Han*, and G.O. Carrier. Cyclic AMP-dependent vasodilators cross-activated the cGMP-dependent protein kinase to stimulate BKCa channel activity in coronary artery smooth muscle cells. Circulation Research 86:897-905, 2000.
Jacob, M.K.* and R.E. White. Diazepam, g-aminobutyric acid, and progesterone open K+ channels in myocytes from coronary arteries. Eur. J. Pharmacol. (Cell and Molec. Pharmacol.) 403:209-19, 2000.
Dimitropoulou, C.*, R.E. White, L.C. Fuchs, H. Zhang, J.D. Catravas, and G.O. Carrier. Angiotensin II relaxes microvessels via the AT2 receptor and Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channels. Hypertension 37:301-07, 2001.
Deenadayalu, V.*, R.E. White, J.N. Stallone, X. Gao, and A. Garcia*. Testosterone relaxes coronary arteries by opening large-conductance, calcium-activated potassium channels. Am. J. Physiol. 281:H1720-27, 2001.
White, R.E., G. Han*, M. Maunz*, C. Dimitropoulou*, A.M. El-Mowafy*, R.S. Barlow*, J.D. Catravas, C. Snead, G.O. Carrier, Shu Zhu*, and X. Yu*. Stimulatory effect of estrogen on Ca2+-activated potassium channels in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells. Cardiovascular Research 53:650-651, 2002.
Zhu, S.*, G. Han*, and R.E. White. Mechanisms of cardiovascular protection by PGE2 in human coronary artery: cAMP opens BKCa channels via PKG. J. Vascular Res. 39:477-488, 2002.
White, R.E. Estrogen and vascular function. Vascular Pharmacology 38:1-8, 2002
Barman, S.A., S. Zhu*, G. Han*, and R.E. White. Cyclic AMP activates BKCa channels in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle via cGMP-dependent protein kinase. Am. J. Physiol.: Lung Cell. Molec. Physiol. 284:L1004-L1011, 2003.
Barman, S.A., S. Zhu*, and R.E. White. PKC activates BKCa channels in rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle via cGMP-dependent protein kinase. Am. J. Physiol.: Lung Cell. Molec. Physiol. 286:L1275-L1281, 2004.
Dimitropoulou, C., R.E. White, D.R. Ownby, and J.D. Catravas. Estrogen reduces carbachol-induced constriction of asthmatic airways by stimulating large-conductance voltage and calcium-dependent potassium channel. Am. J. Resp. Cell. Molec. Biol., 32:239-247, 2005.
White, R.E., G. Han, C. Dimitropoulou, S. Zhu*, K. Miyake, D. Fulton, S. Dave*, and S.A. Barman. Estrogen-induced contraction of coronary arteries is mediated by superoxide generated in vascular smooth muscle. Am. J. Physiol.: Heart Circ. Physiol. 289:1468-1475, 2005.
Barman S.A., S. Zhu, and White, R.E. Hypoxia modulates cyclic AMP activation of BKCa channels in rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle. Lung 183:1-9, 2005.
Zhu, S., R.E. White, and S.A. Barman. Effect of PKC isozyme inhibition of forskolin-induced activation of BKCa channels in rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle. Lung 183:353-361, 2005.
Han, G., X. Yu, L. Lu, S. Li, H. Ma, S. Zhu, X. Chui, and R.E. White. Estrogen receptor alpha mediates acute K channel stimulation in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 316:1025-1030, 2006. (no longer in press)
Barman, S.A., S. Zhu, and R.E. White. Cyclic nucleotide and protein kinase signaling in hypertensive pulmonary arterial smooth muscle. Cur. Resp. Med. Rev. 2:15-25, 2006.
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