Physiology & Biophysics

WALTER E. RODRIGUEZ-ALVAREZ, M.D.
werodr01@gwise.louisville.edu
Assistant Professor
Universidad Nacional de Colombia, 1993


I am involved in small animal research, which encompasses the investigation of physiological and molecular mechanisms which are involved in the control of microvascular function. Specifically, I am investigating 1) the cardiovascular/renal alterations during the development of hypertension, 2) the cardiovascular/renal alterations during the development of diabetes, and 3) the cardiovascular alterations during the exposure to toxic agents in the environment. I am also interested in the effects of aging on microvascular function. Techniques employed in my research include hemodynamic studies, in vitro vascular ring and the in vivo microvascular preparations, and biochemical and histological determinations.


PUBLICATIONS:

1. Moshal, K.S., S.M. Tipparaju, T.P. Vacek, M. Kumar, M. Singh, I.E. Frank, P.K. Patibandala, N. Tyagi, J. Rai, N. Metreveli, W.E. Rodriguez, M.T. Tseng, and S.C. Tyagi. Mitochondrial Matrix Metalloproteinase Activation Decreases Myocyte Contractility in Hyperhomocysteinemia. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 2008 Jun 20. [Epub ahead of print]
2. Moshal, K.S., D.C. Zeldin, S.D. Sithu, U. Sen, N. Tyagi, M. Kumar, W.M. Hughes, Jr., N. Metreveli, D.S. Rosenberger, M. Singh, T.P. Vacek, W.E. Rodriguez, A.S.O. Ayotunde, and S.C. Tyagi. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2J2 gene transfection attenuates MMP-9 via inhibition of NF-kappabeta in hyperhomocysteinemia. J. Cell. Physiol. 2008 Jun;215(3):771-81.
3. Moshal, K.S., W.E. Rodriguez, U. Sen, and S.C. Tyagi. Targeted deletion of MMP-9 attenuates myocardial contractile dysfunction in heart failure. Physiol. Res. 2008;57(3):379-84.
4. Sen, U., N. Tyagi, M. Kumar, K.S. Moshal, W.E. Rodriguez, and S.C. Tyagi.  Cystathionine-beta-synthase gene transfer and 3-deazaadenosine ameliorate inflammatory response in endothelial cells. Am. J. Physiol. Cell. Physiol. 2007 Dec;293(6):C1779-87.
5. Henderson, B.C., U. Sen, C. Reynolds, K.S. Moshal, A. Ovechkin, N. Tyagi, G.K. Kartha, W.E. Rodriguez, and S.C. Tyagi. Reversal of systemic hypertension-associated cardiac remodeling in chronic pressure overload myocardium by ciglitazone. Int. J. Biol. Sci. 2007 Sep 7;3(6):385-92.
6. Jiang, Y., C. Reynolds, C. Xiao, W. Feng, Z. Zhou, W. Rodriguez, S.C. Tyagi, J.W. Eaton, J.T. Saari, and Y.J. Kang. Dietary copper supplementation reverses hypertrophic cardiomyopathy induced by chronic pressure overload in mice. J. Exp. Med. 2007 Mar 19;204(3):657-66.
7. Rodriguez, W.E., N. Tyagi, I.G. Joshua, J.C. Passmore, J.T. Fleming, J.C. Falcone, and S.C. Tyagi. Pioglitazone Mitigates Renal Glomerular Vascular Changes in High-Fat High-Calorie Induced Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. 2006 Sep;291(3):F694-701.
8. Rodriguez, W.E., I.G. Joshua, J.C. Falcone, S.C. Tyagi. Pioglitazone Prevents Cardiac Remodeling in High-Fat High-Calorie Induced Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 2006 Jul;291(1):H81-7.
9. Joshua, I.G., Q. Zhang, J.C. Falcone, A.P. Bratcher, W.E. Rodriguez, and S.C. Tyagi. Mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction with development of type 1 diabetes mellitus: role of insulin and C-peptide. J. Cell. Biochem. 2005 Dec 15;96(6):1149-56.
10. Tyagi, N., K.S. Moshal, A.V. Ovechkin, W. Rodriguez, M. Steed, B. Henderson, A.M. Roberts, I.G. Joshua, and S.C. Tyagi. Mitochondrial mechanism of oxidative stress and systemic hypertension in hyperhomocysteinemia. J. Cell. Biochem. 2005 Nov 1;96(4):665-71.
11. Ovechkin, A.V., N. Tyagi, W.E. Rodriguez, M.R. Hayden, K.S. Moshal, and S.C. Tyagi. Role of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in endothelial apoptosis in chronic heart failure in mice. J. Appl. Physiol. 2005 Dec;99(6):2398-405.
12. Tyagi SC, Rodriguez, W., A.M. Patel, A.M. Roberts, J.C. Falcone, J.C. Passmore, J.T. Fleming, and I.G. Joshua. Hyperhomocysteinemic diabetic cardiomyopathy: oxidative stress, remodeling, and endothelial-myocyte uncoupling. J. Cardiovasc. Pharmacol. Ther. 2005 Mar;10(1):1-10.