This month we feature
Hypertension Research in Perth with contributions from four groups that
have been nicely put together by Doug McKitrick. (see below). As well
we have the announcement of the venue for the ASM, the inception of a new
named plenary lecture at the ASM and lots of other news. Happy reading.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE from Stephen Harrap
This year sees a number of new initiatives, but one of the most pleasing is the increased interaction between the Foundation for High Blood Pressure Research and the Council. As you know, we shall celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Foundation at this year's meeting and to mark the occasion the Foundation has been extraordinarily generous in its support. You can read about some of these long-term initiatives in Jaye's contribution, with more news to come. This year, also for the first time, the Council will run a Clinical Hypertension Update that is designed to attract General Practitioners and Physicians keen to learn the latest in relation to clinical trials, diagnosis and treatment. We have such a depth of expertise within the Council that we are in excellent position to provide authoritative and independent information for clinicians. This session will be held on the Wednesday 7th December in the late afternoon/early evening and we are looking forward to making this a regular feature of our Annual Scientific Meeting as we move around Australia. The aim is to make the Council a point of reference in the clinical world of blood pressure.
MEETING NEWS from Jaye Chin
Dusting
HBPRCA 2005 ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING
We are delighted to announce that the Foundation for High Blood Pressure Research has generously agreed to sponsor a new lectureship for our annual scientific meeting. There will be a communication shortly, in which we will announce the name of the award, the concept behind it as well as the name of the inaugural speaker. It is terrific to see the meeting grow with another highlight to add to our prestigious RD Wright and Austin E Doyle Lectureships. This month we are also pleased to announce that the 2005 Annual Scientific Meeting will be held at The Bio21 Institute, the latest University of Melbourne showcase building at the Parkville Precinct. The venue is well serviced by public transport, has a state-of-the-art 200 seat lecture theatre, an atrium which is ideal for Posters and Trade Displays and a lovely court-yard for catching up with colleagues and friends.
Click here
for information about other scientific
meetings of interest.
SOCIETY LIASON REPORT from Kate
Denton
Following informal talks
with Neil
Poulter, President of the British Hypertension Society, regarding establishing closer links between our 2
societies, there has been a universal endorsement of pursuing this path. At a recent meeting of the Executive
Committee ways in which this might be achieved were considered. A decision was made to start with something
of greatest advantage to our younger members, which would enhance their
international profile and give opportunities for international recognition and
collaborations.
A formal proposal has been
made to BHS suggesting an arrangement whereby our top student (as judged each
year on the basis of abstract and oral presentation) would be supported by our
Council to visit the UK to attend (and we'd hope present their work) the BHS
Annual Scientific Meeting (September each year). The student would be expected
to plan an itinerary that allowed them to visit a number of cognate
laboratories in the UK and to establish relationships that we hope would
flourish over time. We hope that this plan will be endorsed in time for this
years student prizewinner to take advantage of this opportunity in September of
next year.
JUNE FEATURE ARTICLE
Hypertension Research in Perth
This month’s article
focuses on Hypertension Research in our most Western Capitol, Perth. We have
contributions from three groups at the Royal Perth Hospital. Founded in 1829, the
855 bed hospital admits over 67,000 patients per year performing nearly 16,000
operations annually. It is not surprising then that RPH is a major teaching and
research Hospital in Western Australia.
The Hospital has a close association with the School of Medicine at the
University of Western Australia, and with other state universities involved in
the training of nursing and other health professionals. Its research output is
outstanding with over 150 articles per year. There is also a great contribution
from Jackie Philips now at the School of Veterinary and Biomedical
Sciences at Murdoch University.
Neurocardiology Research Group : Royal Perth Hospital
Professor Leonard Arnolda heads the Royal
Perth Hospital – based West Australian Neurocardiology Research Group (WANCR)
of the School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia.
The core members of the group (see photo) include Dr Doug McKitrick (current membership secretary HBPRCA) and Dr Vasyl Holobotovskyy. The group is independently involved in projects
examining centrally organized cardiovascular reflexes, and the control of
thirst and vasopressin secretion in hypertension, heart failure, cirrhosis and
renal disease. Mr
Varun Malik is currently
completing a BMedSci degree investigating nitric oxide mechanisms involved in
blood pressure control in spinal cord autonomic pathways and Dr Kooi Ang recently completed his Ph.D. examining mechanisms of
thirst and vasopressin secretion in heart failure. There are numerous
associated student members working with the RPH group on collaborative projects
(see below).
With Dr Livia Hool (UWA
Physiology), Drs
Marie Bogoyevitch and Peter Arthur (UWA Biochemistry) and A/Prof Kevin Croft (UWA Medicine), WANCR is completing studies
investigating cardiac mitochondrial changes and systemic oxidative stress in
mice exposed to chronic reno-vascular hypertension. The project employs a West
Australian Institute for Medical Research – funded post-doc, Dr Carla Di Maria.
In collaboration with A/Prof Steve Wilton and Dr Susan Fletcher of the Australian Neuromuscular Research Institute,
WANCR is investigating the pathophysiology and treatment of heart failure and
intestinal smooth muscle dysfunction in the MDX mouse model of Duchene muscular
dystrophy. WANCR supervises Mr Joshua Steinhaus (Ph.D candidate) in the project.
Cardiac Transplant Research Group: RPH
The Cardiac Transplant
Research Group originated as a collaboration between Roger Taylor (Prof Cardiology RPH), Gerry O'Driscoll (Head Cardiac Transplant Unit RPH) and Danny Green (Assoc Prof UWA). Over the past decade studies
have focussed on the impact of various interventions, including cardiovascular
medications (ACEI, ARB, statins, anti-TNF agents), antioxidants (vitamins,
allopurinol) and exercise and exercise training interventions, on vascular
structure and function in vivo. Studies have been performed across the
continuum of heath and disease, from elite athletes from the Institutes of
Sport through type 2 diabetes and obesity in children to end stage heart
failure patients on ventricular assist devices and post cardiac
transplantation. Recent studies, in collaboration with Len Arnolda and Doug McKitrick, have also considered the impact of cardiopulmonary baroreceptors and
chemoreflex function on vasomotor control in humans.
The group currently
consists of postdoctoral fellows and a number of post-graduates at Masters, PhD
and Hons levels. Some of the outcomes of the studies performed in the
past decade include: early studies providing evidence for pleiotropic roles of
statins and ACE inhibitors (Circulation 1997;95:1126-1131; J. Clin. Invest.
1997;100:678-684; Diabetic Medicine 2000;17:553-554), evidence for a role of
bradykinin sparing in vascular effects of ACE inhibitors (J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.
2000;36:1461-66; J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 1999;33:1506-1511), benefits of
antioxidant strategies in some groups with elevated oxidant stress (Clin. Sci.
1995;89:343-348; Clin. Exp. Pharm. Physiol. 1999;26:853-856; Clin. Sci.
1998;95:361-367), lack of effect of xanthine oxidase inhibition in vivo (Clin.
Exp. Pharm. Physiol. 1999;26:779-783), systemic benefits of exercise training
in the vasculature (J Physiol 2004;561:1-25; J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.
2001;38:860-866; Am. J. Physiol. 2000;279:H1999-H2005; Eur Heart J 24:
1681-1689, 2003), differential effects of exercise modalities on vascular shear
stress in vivo (J Physiol 2004;561:1-25;J Physiol 562:617-628, 2005),
significant effects of cardiopulmonary baroreceptors in vasomotor control in
vivo (J Physiol: 560;919-27, 2004). A feature of the groups work has been
the development and patenting, in collaboration with Chris Reed (Medical Physics RPH), of novel imaging tools for
assessment of vascular structure and function in humans (J. Appl. Physiol.
2001;91:929-37;J. Appl. Physiol. 2002;93:361).
Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory : Murdoch University
Jacqueline Phillips is based at Murdoch University and set up the
Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory in January 2001, having moved from Auckland
NZ (and prior to that from Canberra ACT).
There are currently 7 people in the group, including Rhonda Loxley and Courtney Reddrop (RA’s), Kellysan
Powers-Martin, Paula Fuller and Susannah Cleary (PhD Students) and Raihana Nordin (Honors Student). Our primary research focus in the laboratory is on
central nervous control of the circulation, with a focus on hypertension in
both the spontaneous hypertensive rat model and renal hypertension. We are
particularly interested in the neuro-anatomical makeup of pathways controlling
arterial pressure throughout the neuraxis, especially those cell populations
within the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and the sympathetic
preganglionic neurons (SPN) in the spinal cord. The activity of RVLM neurons
and there subsequent level of activity is regulated not only by baroreceptor
input via the nucleus tractus solitarii and caudal ventrolateral medulla but
also by synaptic inputs from many other areas of the central nervous system
including the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. An increase in
sympathoexcitatory output from the RVLM has been reported in different forms of
hypertension, despite different initiating mechanisms. We are interested in
altered nitric oxide (NO) signaling in both the RVLM and SPN in hypertension,
and have been examining NO Synthase (NOS) isoform expression in these regions.
NO can exert its effects by S-nitrosylation of proteins including the NMDA
receptor and the activation of guanylyl cyclase/cGMP and we have also been
looking at these pathways in the RVLM and SPN populations.
In a new project, we have
been examining the role played by the sympathetic nervous system in driving
hypertension in different models of renal disease. Renal failure and
hypertension commonly occur hand-in-hand, and both conditions have significant
impact on the well being of Australians today, not to mention their high costs
on the health system. Much of our work is carried out in collaboration with the
Neurocardiology Research Group at Royal Perth Hospital. Other projects in the laboratory included a
study of the molecular mechanisms influencing the phenotypic expression of the
adrenal medullary tumour pheochromocytoma, sympathetic nervous innervation of
the skin in patients with complex regional pain syndrome and the role of
neuromodulators in regulating contractile responses at the neuromuscular
junction.
Cardiovascular Research Centre: RPH
The
Cardiovascular Research Centre was formed in 2003 and is based at Royal Perth
Hospital. The centre is part of the School of Medicine and Pharmacology at the
University of Western Australia. Our mission of is to reduce cardiovascular
disease through clinical trials and laboratory research with a focus on
nutrition and lifestyle. The team includes Professor Ian Puddey (director), Professor Lawrie Beilin, Associate Professor Kevin Croft, Dr Valerie Burke, Dr Trevor Mori, Dr
Anne Barden, Dr Kay Cox and Dr Jonathan Hodgson who all have a long association with the School and
studies of the effects of nutrition and lifestyle on cardiovascular risk. The research combines carefully controlled
lifestyle interventions and population studies that are overseen by Lawrie Beilin and Ian Puddey
and underpinned by laboratory expertise that allows us to explore mechanisms of
action. The centre holds an NH&MRC
Clinical Centre of Excellence grant, NH&MRC project grants, and grants from
the NHF, Healthway and the ARC.
Lawrie
Beilin, is currently examining
the effect of genetic polymorphisms in both children and their parents and
gene-environment interaction on phenotypes of cardiovascular health. This study
is part of the ongoing Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort Study that has
followed 2,860 children from birth to adolescence.
The department has a strong
background in analytical chemistry and biochemistry. The Biomedical Mass
Spectrometry Unit run by Kevin Croft
and Trevor Mori has enabled the group to be at the frontiers of
research into oxidative stress and fatty acid metabolism in relation to the
pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
Kevin
Croft and Jonathan Hodgeson have been examining the effects of g-tocopherol, one of the major forms of vitamin E in
the diet, and comparing its effects to those of a-tocopherol. Although a-tocopherol is a stronger antioxidant, g-tocopherol differs in that it is capable of trapping
reactive nitrogen species and its major metabolite has anti-inflammatory and
natriuretic properties. They are undertaking a randomised controlled trial of 6
weeks supplementation with either mixed tocopherols (high in g-tocopherol), a-tocopherol or placebo in subjects with Type 2 Diabetes. The end points
are markers of oxidative stress and inflammation; vascular function and blood
pressure. Anne
Barden and Kevin Croft are examining the role of cytochrome P450 metabolites
of arachidonic acid in the metabolic syndrome. This study will examine the effects
of weight loss on vasodilator and vasoconstrictor cytochrome P450 metabolites
of arachidonic acid in relation to their role in vascular function, blood
pressure regulation and glucose and lipid metabolism.
The unit has a longstanding
interest in the effects of long chain fatty acids derived from fish on
cardiovascular risk. Trevor Mori is
testing the hypothesis that supplementation with fish oils and coenzyme-Q10
(CoQ) will have independent and additive effects in improving the
cardiovascular risk profile of patients with mild renal impairment. The primary
aim is to determine whether a combined approach has additive effects in
improving blood pressure, vascular function and arterial compliance. Secondary aims are to determine whether
there are beneficial effects on ventricular function, markers of inflammation
and oxidative stress.
Ian
Puddey has established an
international reputation for his studies of the effects of alcohol on blood
pressure. To date intervention trials of the effects of alcohol have been
confined to men. In collaboration with Trevor Mori and Jonathan Hodgeson, he has been conducting two trials examining the
effects of alcohol on blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors in women
and in Type 2 diabetics.
Kay
Cox has conducted a number of
randomised controlled trials of the effects of exercise on blood pressure and
cardiovascular risk and is now taking her exercise programs into the community
setting. Focusing on the older adult population she is developing a training
program for walk leaders and age-peer mentors from the community. A physical
activity promotion package is being developed and will be used in a large-scale
controlled intervention where its effects on long-term physical activity
adherence will be assessed.
Valerie
Burke, Trevor Mori
and Lawrie
Beilin are conducting a 2 yr
follow-up study of participants in the ADAPT trial, a health, promotion program
for withdrawal of antihypertensive drugs in overweight hypertensives. The trial compared a usual care group, with
a health promotion program incorporating improved dietary habits including
increased fish consumption, weight control and physical activity. The study was
a randomised controlled trial with initial 4 months of counselling, planned
drug withdrawal and further 12 months follow-up. The program achieved
improvements in a range of health-related behaviours and cardiovascular risk
factors in overweight men and women being treated with drugs to control
hypertension. Program group individuals achieved a greater weight loss, a
greater decrease in waist circumference, cholesterol and triglycerides,
systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate at the end of the program
and at follow-up. The program was associated with a greater proportion of men
with drug treatment withdrawn at the end of the program. The 2 year follow-up
will be completed at the end of 2005.
Trevor
Mori and Jonathan Hodgson are collaborating with the food industry evaluating
the effects of novel foods based on a unique combination of soy and dairy
products. This project is a new collaboration between So Natural Foods, and the
Universities of Wollongong, South Australia and Western Australia. The aims are to develop novel foods based on
a combination of soy and dairy and to determine if the combination of soy/dairy
foods results in cholesterol reduction and other health benefits of soy,
similar to soy alone. These studies are currently being carried out and are due
to be completed by the end of 2005.
Clinical & Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology
(CEPP) is Free to HBPRCA members
CEPP aims to make a
substantial contribution to effective and productive communication between
scientists throughout the world who are working in these interrelated
disciplines. The journal provides a medium for the rapid publication of
original research papers, short communications, rapid communications and
theoretical articles (hypotheses) on the results of clinical and experimental
work in pharmacology and physiology. Invited review articles are published
occasionally.
To
access the journal online visit http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/
and log in or register if you are a new user. Once you are logged in follow the
three simple steps below:
Click on the blue ‘My Synergy’ tab and
the top of the screen and then click the blue ‘Access’ tab in the middle of the
screen.
1. Enter
CEPHBPTRIAL2005 in the ‘Access Token’ box exactly as it appears here. You will
only need to enter this code the first time you use Blackwell Synergy
2. Now click
‘Continue’
You will have access to all content in CEPP every time you log in
until 31st of December 2005.
Manuscripts
can be submitted to CEPP via http://cepp.manuscriptcentral.com/
MONASH MICRO IMAGING WORKSHOP
Monash University are still running workshops in microscopy techniques. If you are interested in attending, find out more by contacting the organisers or downloading a copy of the brochure.
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY FOR MEDICAL
RESEARCH
ASMR needs your help during 2005, to ensure that medical research
in our country remains competitive and translates to better health and economic
outcomes for all Australians. You need to act now:
¨
Visit your local member twice in 2005. Once before June and again before October.
¨
Before September, write to: your local member;
the Health Minister; the Treasurer; the Prime Minister
Points of focus:
(use examples from your field) Medical research is vital to Australia’s future,
it,
®
underpins the health of all Australians
®
delivers exceptional returns on investment
®
creates knowledge-based jobs
Please click here to view information on the ASMR Campaign to increase Health and Medical Research Funding.
With best wishes,
A/Professor Geoffrey A. Head
_____________________________
Website
Meetings
First
t 61 3
9739 7697
f 61 3 9739 7076
e mailto:hbprca@meetingsfirst.com.au
|
3rd World Congress of Nephrology on Hypertension And The Kidney
July 1-3, 2005 Esplanade Convention Centre
– Perth, AUSTRALIA Click here for
meeting website Website http://www.eventedge.com.au:8080/hypertension2005/ |
International Society on Hypertension in Blacks
20th Annual
Meeting Caribe Hilton
Hotel Friday, July 15 -
Tuesday, July 19, 2005 Click
here for meeting website Click here for International Society of Blacks website |
Joint International Meeting of The Physiological Society & FEPS
Bristol
University, Glasgow, SCOTLAND Wednesday, July
20 – Saturday, July 23, 2005 Click here for meeting
website Click
here for the Physiological Society website Click here for the
Federation of European Physiological Societies website |
International Society on Thrombosis & Haemostasis
Sydney Convention
and Exhibition Centre, Sydney, AUSTRALIA Saturday, August
6 – Friday, August 12, 2005 Click
here for meeting website Click
here for society website
|
Frontiers in Vascular Medicine
August 26-28th
2005 Monash
University, South 1 Lecture Theatre Click here for the meeting
website |
European Society of Cardiology
Annual Scientific
Meeting Stockholmsmässan,
Stockholm, SWEDEN Saturday,
September 3 – Wednesday, September 7, 2005 Click here for the meeting
website Click here for the
society website
|
International Society of Hypertension
21st Scientific
Meeting Saturday, October
15 – Wednesday, October 19, 2006 Fukuoka International Congress
Centre – Fukuoka, JAPAN Click
here for
meeting website Click here for International
Society of hypertension web page |
Canadian Cardiovascular Society
Annual Scientific
Meeting Quebec, CANADA Saturday, October
22 – Wednesday, October 26, 2005 Click
here for meeting website Click here for society
website |
Asian Pacific Society of Nuclear Cardiology
Annual Scientific Meeting
Annual scientific
meeting Mumbai, INDIA Thursday,
December 1 – Sunday, December 4, 2005 Click here for meeting
website Click
here for Asian
Pacific Society of Nuclear Cardiology website
|
International Conference on Healthy Ageing and Longevity
3rd Annual Meeting Friday, April 28
– Sunday, April 30, 2006 Melbourne
Convention and Exhibition Centre – Melbourne, AUSTRALIA Click here for meeting
website |