Acuson Sequoia C512 Echocardiography System

描述(由申请人提供)：这是一项收购西门子医疗解决方案美国公司制造的ACUSON SequoiaTM C512心脏超声成像系统的共享仪器方案。超声心动图被广泛认为是一种有价值的研究工具，用于研究小动物的各种心血管疾病过程，包括缺血性心脏病、心力衰竭、心肌肥大和重构、高血压和糖尿病心肌病。尽管托莱多大学有国家认可的NIH资助的研究人员在其中许多领域工作，但该大学目前没有足够的超声仪能够为小型研究动物提供深入的心脏评估。因此，研究人员不得不寻找替代的、有创的方法来评估心脏功能和重塑，这导致了更高的成本、更多的动物使用和更低的效率。通过满足对小动物超声心动图的迫切需求，ACUSON Sequoia系统的收购将极大地促进NIH赞助的R01活动项目的进展，以及主要用户指导的计划项目赠款(2P01)。此外，使用这种共享设备的机会将扩大到有积极赠款支持或正在为新的赠款申请开发初步数据的次要用户和新用户。这些设备将设在托莱多大学健康科学校区生理和药理学系心血管表型核心实验室，实验室内的空间将分配给所有用户进行研究。仪器的日常调度、培训和技术支持将在核心实验室的主持下进行，并由PI和一个内部咨询委员会进行行政监督。对该工具的机构支持将以空间分配和年度服务合同50%补贴的形式提供。将受益于红杉系统的正在进行的项目包括：1)旨在探索洋地黄介导的心肌细胞肥大机制的研究；2)构成Na/K-ATPase/Src受体复合体形成的分子相互作用的研究，并评估这种新发现的受体在洋地黄激活的心脏信号转导中的功能和生理反应；3)研究血压的遗传决定因素及其对心脏功能和重塑的影响；以及4)旨在确定胰岛素抵抗导致代谢综合征及其相关的心血管效应的机制的研究。几个新的项目侧重于心脏脂肪酸代谢、尿毒症心肌病、钙蛋白酶在修复受损心肌细胞受损的质膜中的作用，以及TRPC3通道在动脉粥样硬化形成和左心室肥厚发展中的作用，也将受益于所要求的成像系统的供应。通过加快这些不同项目的进展，这种共享仪器将对托莱多大学的健康相关研究产生重大积极影响。 与公共健康相关：我们正在申请资金购买ACUSON SequoiaTM C512心脏超声系统，这是一台久负盛名的仪器，具有出色的性能记录，并广泛接受来自大小研究动物的超声心动图数据。这所大学目前还没有这种仪器。它将作为一个共享资源，加速众多研究人员的心血管相关研究，其中包括三个主要用户，他们参与了NIH赞助的专注于心肌肥厚、高血压和糖尿病的项目。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a shared instrumentation proposal to acquire an ACUSON SequoiaTM C512 cardiac ultrasound imaging system, manufactured by Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. Echocardiography is widely accepted as a valuable research tool for studying a broad range of cardiovascular disease processes in small animals, including ischemic heart disease, heart failure, cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling, hypertension and diabetic cardiomyopathy. Although the University of Toledo has nationally recognized NIH-funded investigators working in many of these areas, the university currently does not have adequate access to an ultrasound machine that is capable of providing in-depth cardiac assessment of small research animals. Consequently, investigators have had to seek alternative, invasive approaches to assessing cardiac function and remodeling, leading to higher costs, increased animal use and lower efficiency. By meeting a critical need for small animal echocardiography, the acquisition of the ACUSON Sequoia system will greatly facilitate progress on active NIH-sponsored R01 projects as well as a Program Project Grant (2P01) directed by the major users. In addition, access to this shared equipment will be extended to minor users and new users who have active grant support or are seeking to develop preliminary data for new grant applications. The equipment will be located in the Cardiovascular Phenotyping Core Laboratory of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology on the University of Toledo's Health Science Campus, and space within the lab will be allocated to facilitate studies for all users. The day-to-day scheduling, training, and technical support for the instrument will be handled under the auspices of the Core Laboratory, with administrative supervision from the PI and an Internal Advisory Committee. Institutional support for the instrument will come in the form of space allocation and a 50% subsidy for the annual service contract. Ongoing projects that will benefit from the Sequoia system include: 1) Studies aimed at exploring mechanisms of digitalis mediated cardiac myocyte hypertrophy; 2) Studies of the molecular interactions that constitute the formation of the Na/K-ATPase/Src receptor complex, and to evaluate the functionality and physiologic response of this newly discovered receptor in digitalis- activated signal transduction in the heart; 3) Studies to identify genetic determinants of blood pressure and their effects on cardiac function and remodeling; and 4) Studies aimed at identifying the mechanisms by which insulin resistance leads to metabolic syndrome and its associated cardiovascular effects. Several new projects focused on cardiac fatty acid metabolism, uremic cardiomyopathy, the role of calpains in the repair of the damaged plasma membranes of damaged cardiomyoctes, and the role of TRPC3 channels in atherogenesis and the development of left ventricular hypertrophy will also benefit from the availability of the requested imaging system. By accelerating progress on these diverse projects, this shared instrumentation will have a major positive impact on health-related research at the University of Toledo. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We are requesting funds to acquire an ACUSON SequoiaTM C512 cardiac ultrasound system, which is a well established instrument with an excellent performance record and widespread acceptance of echocardiographic data generated from large and small research animals alike. This instrument is not currently available at this university. It will be operated as a shared resource to accelerate the cardiovascular-related research of numerous investigators including three major users who are engaged in NIH-sponsored projects focused on cardiac hypertrophy, hypertension and diabetes.