Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo

Current research focus

Achieve a thorough understanding of receptor-mediated neurohumoral signalling and signal transduction in normal and failing hearts, changes occuring in heart failure and translation of this understanding into novel pharmacological treatment of heart failure.

Understand the signalling mechanisms of and the importance of splice variant diversity among 5-HT4 and 5-HT7 serotonin receptors.

Research projects

Supervisor

• Effects and mechanisms of prostanoid receptor stimulation in normal and failing myocardium
• Regulation of serotonin receptor expression in normal and failing hearts
• Role of the G protein Gi to regulate cAMP signalling in normal and failing ventricular myocardium
• Preassociation of the 5-HT7 receptor and Gs
• Effects and mechanisms of muscarinic receptor stimulation in failing myocardium
• Signalling transduction and regulation of 5-HT₄-induced contractile effects in failing myocardium
• Relation between serotonin receptors and myocardial hypertrophy
• A comparison between the receptor signalling mechanisms coupled to 5-HT4 serotonin receptors and to beta-adrenoceptors in failing myocardium.
• Crosstalk of cGMP on cAMP signalling systems in cardiomyocytes. A key to modifications of cAMP-dependent receptor functions in failing myocardium?
• Compartmentalized receptor-mediated signaling through cAMP and cGMP in cardiomyocytes
• Regulation of myocardial cGMP by PDE subtypes.
• Signalling mechanisms for the effects of natriuretic peptides on contractility in failing myocardium
• Cardiac tissue hypothyroidism and receptor functions in heart failure.
• Cyclic GMP compartmentation in failing myocardium
• cGMPs influence on cAMP
• Effects of functional selectivity on serotonin receptors

Collaborator

• Mitochondrial p66Shc - friend or foe?
• Changes of adrenergic receptor functions in failing myocardium
• Involvement of phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) in the inotropic responses to stimulation of Gq coupled receptors
• Pulmonal hypoxia and pulmonary hypertension; Mechanisms involved in transition to heart failure
• Heart failure protein interaction
• Characterization of increased calcium sensitivity in heart muscle as inotropic mechanism for receptor stimulation and for levosimendan.
• Is heme oxygenase-1 a downstream mediator of HIF-1a induced protection?
• Gender and cardiovascular disease
• A role of retinoic acid in remodelling of the failing heart