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Cell & Molecular Physiology

111 Mason Farm Road
5200 Medical Biomolecular Research Building
CB 7545 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7545

tel. (919) 966-5241
fax (919) 966-6927

 
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William Arendshorst, PhD

William Arendshorst, PhD

Professor

PhD, Indiana University, 1970

Signaling Pathways Regulating the Renal Microcirculation: Animal and Cellular Studies of Renal Physiology and Vascular Biology

Contact

arends@med.unc.edu

6341B Medical Biomolecular Research Building
Campus Box 7545

(919) 966-1067 (office)
(919) 966-9933 (lab)
(919) 966-6927 (fax)

Postdoctoral Position

A postdoctoral position is available immediately in the Arendshorst lab.

One project focuses on G-protein coupled receptor stimulation of cytosolic calcium signaling involving ryanodine receptor mediated calcium-induced calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of smooth muscle cells of small glomerular arterioles. Cytosolic calcium concentration is measured using ratiometric imaging of Fura-2 and an inverted microscope.

A second project concerns the role of different calcium signaling pathways in proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells in culture and arterial medial hypertrophy in vivo in response to hypertension and flow-mediated remodeling.

Support is through NIH-NHLBI funding.

Highly motivated individuals with a PhD or MD and strong publishing record in relevant areas should send a letter or email explaining research interests and expertise, a curriculum vitae, and names of references to: William J. Arendshorst, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599; arends@med.unc.edu

Rotations

*Rotation projects [click here for complete descriptions]

• Evaluate the importance a novel renal specific ADPR cyclase and its cyclic ADP ribose / ryanodine receptor Ca2+ signaling pathway in renal vascular reactivity in vivo. Student will perform surgery on an anesthetized rat or mouse and measure renal blood flow using an ultrasonic transducer. Renal vascular reactivity is assessed in response to vasoactive agents injected iv or directly into the renal artery to produce transient renal vasoconstriction.

• Determine the functional importance of a novel renal specific ADPR cyclase and cyclic ADP ribose / ryanodine receptor Ca2+ signaling pathway in vascular smooth muscle cells of afferent arterioles. Student will isolate preglomerular resistance arterioles (<100 mm in diameter) using an iron oxide/sieving method or microdissection and measure cytosolic Ca2+ concentration utilizing the fluorophore fura-2 in imaging studies. Arterioles are isolated from mice lacking the conventional ADPR cyclase, CD38, due to gene targeting.

• Assess the relative activities of a novel renal ADP ribosyl cyclase vs. conventional CD38. Student will use a biochemical assay to measure production of the metabolite cyclic ADP ribose in afferent arterioles isolated from CD38-/- and wild-type mice.

• Identify specific ryanodine receptor subtypes (RyR1-3) in vascular smooth muscle cells of afferent arterioles. Student will utilize real-time RT-PCR to quantify mRNA of each subtype.