FP6 priority

1.1.1   Genomics and Biotechnology for Health

1.1.2.1

Title of the proposal

Elucidation of the mechanisms and prevention of sudden cardiac death

Institute

Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute for Heart Research
Dubravska cesta 9, 842 33 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Contact

Research subject for a potential FP6 project

Following the recent data in the literature and our previous original results indicating that myocardial intercellular gap junctions play an important role in the development of arrhythmia substrate, the project is aimed to: a) elucidate cellular mechanisms and factors involved in the initiation and persistance of life threatening arrhythmias in various pathophysiological conditions; b) to investigate modulation of gap junction channels by various endogenous and exogenous compounds; c) to analyze pathophysiological conditions and consequent down-regulation of connexin expression; d) to examine endogenous and exogenous compounds for their effect on up-regulation of connexin and enhancement of intercellular communication as well as drug-induced spontaneous ventricular defibrilation. Methodological approaches: morphological – electron microscopy, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry; enzyme activity measurement.

Recent international cooperation of the research team

Institute of Physiolopgy, Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic; Max-Plank Institute, Experimental Cardiology, Bad Nauheim, Germany; Dept. Physiology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Bar Ilan University, Ramatgan, Israel; Dept. Physiology Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan; Inst. Cardiovascular Sciences, Winnipeg, Canada

Proposer´s relevant publications related to the research subject

Tribulova N., Manoach M.: Factors determining spontaneous ventricular defibrillation. Exp. Clin. Cardiol. 6, 2, 109-113, 2001.
Tribulova N., Manoach M., Varon D., Okruhlicova L., Zinman T., Shainberg A.: Dispersion of cell-to-cell uncoupling precedes low K+ -induced ventricular fibrillation. Physiol. Res. 50, 3, 247-259, 2001.
Tribulova N., Manoach M.: Is the antiarrhythmic effect of PA related to wavelenght? Circulation, 99, 16, 2220-2221, 1999.
Tribulova N., Okruhlicova L., Novakova S., Pancza D., Bernatova I., Pechanova O., Weismann P., manoach M., Seki S., Mochizuki S.: Hypertension-related intermyocyte junction remodelling is associated with a higher incidence of low K+ -induced lethal arrhythmias in isolated rat heart. Exp. Physiol. 87, 2, 195-205, 2002.