Role of short chain fatty acids in blood pressure regulation

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The over-arching, long-term goal of my research program is to understand how blood flow and blood pressure are regulated. Lots of chemicals in the body can change blood flow and pressure by binding to molecules on cells called receptors. Recently it has been suggested that chemicals made by bacteria that normally live in our gut, may also be able to act on specific receptors and so may influence blood flow and pressure. In this study, we will investigate this possibility by making measurements of blood flow and pressure in mice that don't have these receptors. We will also look at what happens when we give some mice antibiotics to kill some of the bacteria, and when we will give other mice different diets which will change the types of chemicals that the bacteria can produce. Together, these experiments will tell us if the chemicals produced by gut bacteria have an important role controlling blood flow and pressure. At the same time, this planned program of will provide high quality research training and professional development opportunities for graduate and undergraduate trainees.**