Irving Zucker, PhD

Irving Zucker, PhD, and his laboratory focuses on the role of the central brain mechanisms on neurohormonal adjustments in cardiovascular regulation in the setting of experimental chronic heart failure. They are interested in the role of substances such as angiotensin II, ACE2, nitric oxide and reactive oxidant stress as important mediators of sympathetic excitation in the setting of chronic heart failure. A secondary interest relates to the role of cardiac sympathetic sensory endings in mediating sympatho-excitation and cardiac remodeling in heart failure and hypertension. These techniques are providing important new information about normal cardiovascular physiology and about the pathophysiology of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.

Students in this laboratory learn surgical preparation of chronically instrumented animals and techniques for measuring a variety of cardiovascular parameters in awake, chronically instrumented animals. Molecular biological techniques such as Western blots, real time RT PCR, and histological techniques are routinely used.

Courtesy of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Office of Strategic Communications