Kumar Laboratory Research Interests

My laboratory examines questions of vascular and placental biology relevant to human health and disease. We use both animal models as well as human clinical materials in our studies. Under this broad focus, research areas include:

1) Pregnancy associated adaptations and implications for pathophysiology of preeclampsia: To understand the mechanisms of vascular adaptations and placental functions during pregnancy and how alterations in endocrine hormones (e.g. androgens, renin angiotensin system, etc) lead to development of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction.

2) Fetal origins of hypertension: Examine how hormonal changes and other adverse perinatal environment cause reprogramming of fetal organs to lead to development of adult life hypertension.

3) Sex-specific hypertension mechanisms: Examine why normal vascular and endothelial functions and hypertension signaling mechanisms are different between males and females and how sex steroid hormones play a regulatory role. This will help develop sex specific antihypertensive treatment strategies.

4) Therapeutic implications: To develop nutritional and pharmacologic therapeutic strategies that will have a practical clinical potential for prevention and treatment of abnormal maternal vascular adaptations and programming of hypertension. These studies will offer exciting insights in understanding the mechanisms that contribute for abnormal maternal vascular adaptations and perinatal origins of adult diseases, and develop strategic ways to improve the lives of pregnant women and their children. The impact of this research is likely to have significant positive repercussions in other programmable adult diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

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University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

 

Division of Reproductive Sciences prepares impressive slate of research for Society for Reproductive Investigation conference

The 2022 Society for Reproductive Investigation’s Annual Scientific Meeting, held in Denver, CO between March 15-19, features several presentations, posters and abstracts from members of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive Sciences! Just some of their exciting accomplishments:

Clinical and Translational Perinatology Oral Presentation:

Breastfeeding Promotes Predominant Bifidobacterium in Farm-Exposed Infants
Deborah Chasman, Krittisak Chaiyakul, Samantha Fye, James E Gern, Susan V Lynch, Christine M Seroogy, Irene M Ong

Maternal Biology and Health oral presentation:

Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS) Increases Mean Arterial Pressure by Impairing Endothelial Nitric Oxide-Mediated Vasodilation and Enhancing Angiotensin II-Mediated Vascular Contraction in Pregnant Rats
Sri V Dangudubiyyam, Jay S Mishra, Ruolin Song, Sathish Kumar

Preeclampsia oral presentation:

Preeclampsia Differentially Dysregulates Female and Male Fetal Endothelial Cells Function and Transcriptomic Profiles in Lean and Obese Pregnancies.
Chi Zhou, Allison Yang, Colman Freel, Olivia Mills, Jing Zheng

Preeclampsia II Oral Presentation session, moderated by Aishwarya Rengarajan

Abstracts:

An Endogenous Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Ligand Induces Preeclamptic Phenotypes in Rats. Ying-jie Zhao, Chi Zhou, Hui-hui Li, Jay S Mishra, Sathish Kumar, Jing Zheng

Follicular Immune Signature of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment. Soma Banerjee, Fernanda B Levya Jaimes, Abigail A Zettel, Eryne T Jenkins, Jason Austin, Laura G Cooney, Aleksander K Stanic

Immunohistochemical Localization of ACE2 in the Male Reproductive Tract in the Rhesus Macaque: Implications for Nonhuman Primate Model Development for COVID-19. Hayly Hinkle, Sierra Block, Ann Mitzey, Jenna Schmidt, Gregory Wiepz, Thaddeus G. Golos

Estradiol Protects Against Gestational Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Hypertension and Metabolic Dysfunctions in the Adult Female Offspring. Ruolin Song, Jay S Mishra, Sri V Dangudubiyyam, Jyoti Watters, Tracy Baker, Sathish Kumar

Novel Role of Angiotensin Type 2 Receptor in Promoting Angiogenesis in Primary Human Uterine Artery Endothelial Cells. Jay S Mishra, Sri V Dangudubiyyam, Ruolin Song, Dong-Bao Chen, Sathish Kumar

Endothelial Dysfunction in Preeclampsia: The Story of the Interleukins. Rachel L Dahn, Amanda C Ampey, Jason L Austin, Ian M Bird

Congratulations to all!

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