$1.5M Grant to Study Hormone's Role in Blood Flow

Hormone Role in Blood Flow Studied

The Medical College of Wisconsin received a four-year, $1.5 million competitive grant renewal from the National Institutes of Health’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to continue a study on how a common hormone affects blood flow in response to a high salt diet.

Julian H. Lombard, Ph.D., professor of physiology, is the principal investigator for the study. Previous research by Dr. Lombard has shown that elevated salt intake leads to a dramatic reduction in the ability of blood vessels to relax and increase blood flow to critical organs and that this occurs without an increase in blood pressure.

The goal of this study is to determine the role angiotensin II, a common hormone that helps regulate the body’s water, plays in this vascular response by restoring vascular relaxation and increasing blood flow in rats that are fed high salt diets.

This study will provide valuable insight into the early changes occurring in response to a high salt diet for those who eventually develop salt-sensitive high blood pressure as well as explain other vascular changes that result from elevated salt intake.

Dr. Lombard’s research is intended to improve understanding of and treatments for vascular diseases such as high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries and high blood cholesterol.