The Fallavollita lab is studying myocardial responses and adaptations to chronic ischemia. The laboratory has developed a porcine model of chronic hibernating myocardium to examine flow and function with particular attention to inotropic and vasodilatory reserve. They are also studying the metabolic and molecular adaptations to ischemia and have confirmed alterations in high glucose uptake and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium regulatory gene expression in a chronic model. The work has shown that hibernating myocardium is characterized by apoptotic cell loss with compensatory hypertrophy. These experiments have been complemented by a series of acute experiments following a period of prolonged moderate ischemia or "short-term hibernation", prior to the development of hibernating myocardium. Dr. Fallavollita is evaluating alterations in flow, function, oxygen consumption, glucose uptake, sarcoplasmic reticulum, calcium regulatory gene expression, glucose transporter expression and troponin degradation.
Page, B., Young, R., Iyer, V., Suzuki, G., Lis, M., Korotchkina, L., Patel, M.S., Blumenthal, K.M., Fallavollita, J.A., and Canty, J.M. Jr (2008). Persistent regional downregulation in mitochondrial enzymes and upregulation of stress proteins in swine with chronic hibernating myocardium. Circ Res. 102:103-12, 2008.
Lynch, P., Lee, T.C., Fallavollita, J.A., Canty, J.M. Jr. and Suzuki, G. Intracoronary administration of AdvFGF-5 (Fibroblast Growth Factor-5) ameliorates left ventricular dysfunction and prevents myocyte loss in swine with developing collaterals and ischemic cardiomyopathy. Circulation. 116(Suppl 1):I-71-I76, 2007.
Suzuki G, Lee TC, Fallavollita JA, Canty JM Jr. Adenoviral gene transfer of FGF-5 to hibernating myocardium improves function and stimulates myocytes to hypertrophy and reenter the cell cycle. Circ Res. 2005 Apr 15;96(7):767-75. Epub 2005 Mar 10.