|
Tahir Hussain, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Pharmacology
Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences
542D Science and Research Building 2
Houston, TX 77204-5037
713-743-1274
713-743-1229 (fax)
Thussain2@uh.edu
B.Sc. (Chemistry) M.Sc, M.Phil, Ph.D. (Biochemistry) - Aligarh Muslim University, India
Post-Doctorate – Pharmacology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
Angiotensin II binds to AT1 and AT2 receptors. Compared to the AT2 receptors, the AT1 receptor are expressed in greater density, and are known to mediate most of the known actions of Angiotensin II, such as vasoconstriction, anti-natriuresis, and increase in blood pressure. In general, AT2 receptors are suggested to oppose the actions mediated by AT1 receptors. Recently, we found that renal AT2 receptor expression is increased and mediates natriuresis in diabetic and obese rat models. Therefore, our research is focused to understand the cellular and molecular regulation of the renal AT2 receptor expression and the physiological and therapeutic role of the renal AT2 receptor in improving renal-cardiovascular function and treating diabetes/obesity related hypertension. We utilize molecular/biochemical, cellular and physiological approach including renal function and blood pressure measurements.
Type-2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder associated with insulin resistance. Although many defects in insulin signaling have been implicated in type-diabetes, molecular mechanism responsible for insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes is not clear. G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) kinase-2 (GRK-2) is known to desensitize GPCRs. Insulin is a tyrosine kinase receptor. In pursuit of finding novel negative regulators of insulin signaling, we studied the role of GRK-2 in insulin signaling and function, namely glycogen synthesis in the liver cells. We found that silencing GRK-2 causes increase in the glycogen synthesis and the insulin signaling. The molecular mechanism responsible for this role of GRK-2 appears to be complex. Abnormally increased activity of the GRK-2 is implicated in hypertension, myocardial ischemia and chronic heart failure. We are interested to investigate whether GRK-2 adversely affects insulin signaling/function and has a therapeutic potential to treat type 2 diabetes.
Cellular Pharmacology (History of cell signaling: receptor, cAMP, IP3, G proteins)
Cardiovascular/Renal Pharmacology/Physiology (Renin angiotensin system)
Advance Pharmacology (Insulin signaling and resistance, treatment of diabetes)
Cellular Life Science I (proteins/enzymes, carbohydrate metabolism, cell-cycle and cancer)
American Heart Association
American Physiological Society
American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
American Society of Nephrology
Association of Scientists of Indian Origin in America
Rho Chi Society
Rho Chi Teaching Excellence Award-University of Houston College of Pharmacy, 2002, 2004
Service Excellence Award-University of Houston College of Pharmacy, 2006
Junior Scientist Award (Physiology)-Association of Scientists of Indian Origin in America, 1993
Young Investigator Travel award-ASPET, 1993
|
