Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo

Current research focus

Study altered neurohormonal signalling in the failing rat and human heart including: Mechanisms of altered responses. Inotropic effects and mechanisms of serotonin in failing rat and human myocardium. Regulatory role of various phosphodiesterases. Involvement of phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) in the inotropic response to alpha1-adrenoceptor and 5-HT2A receptor stimulation.

Research projects

Project manager

• Changes of adrenergic receptor functions in failing myocardium
• On the role of myocardial α1-adrenoceptors in clinical situations
• Relation between serotonin receptors and myocardial hypertrophy
• Crosstalk of cGMP on cAMP signalling systems in cardiomyocytes. A key to modifications of cAMP-dependent receptor functions in failing myocardium?

Supervisor

• Mechanism of action of 5-HT₄ serotonin receptors in failing myocardium
• Characterization of increased calcium sensitivity in heart muscle as inotropic mechanism for receptor stimulation and for levosimendan.
• A comparison between the receptor signalling mechanisms coupled to 5-HT4 serotonin receptors and to beta-adrenoceptors in failing myocardium.
• Regulation of myocardial cGMP by PDE subtypes.
• Signalling mechanisms for the negative inotropic effect of natriuretic peptides in failing myocardium
• Cardiac tissue hypothyroidism and receptor functions in heart failure.
• cGMPs influence on cAMP

Collaborator

• Effects and mechanisms of prostanoid receptor stimulation in normal and failing myocardium
• Regulation of serotonin receptor expression in normal and failing hearts
• Effects and mechanisms of muscarinic receptor stimulation in failing myocardium
• Functions of myocardial CTGF in the postnatal heart – signalling pathways, delineation of CTGF-induced gene expression programs and role in cell proliferation, differentiation and cell death
• Heart failure protein interaction