[HM Roster]

The Hypertension and Microcirculation [HM] Study Section reviews applications involving basic and applied aspects of cardiovascular regulation with focus on the physiology of blood pressure regulation, the pathogenesis of hypertension and the microcirculation.  It includes studies on cell surface receptors and signaling processes, endogenous vasoactive substances, including the renin-angiotensin system, reactive oxygen species, and their mechanisms of action as related to hypertension, neural control, regional hemodynamics, lymphatic circulation, and microcirculation.

Specific areas covered by HM:

• Blood pressure regulation and systemic hypertension.  Studies may focus on central or peripheral nervous and endocrine systems, and kidneys and address primary regulators of blood pressure or end organ effects.  Mechanisms involving regulation of renal hemodynamic, renal tubular transport, or paracrine, autocrine, or intracrine function, and hormonal/humoral agents produced by the kidney (and other organs) such as renin/angiotensin, dopamine, kallikreins, eicosanoids, nitric oxide and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species when the primary focus is on systemic hypertension.
  
  
• Neural mechanisms of cardiovascular regulation, in particular, vertebrate animal studies of autonomic physiology involving all aspects of reflex arcs and central mechanisms including, physiology, pharmacology and receptor mechanisms.
  
  
• Molecular/cellular/biochemical/genetic studies of hypertension.  Genetic linkage and association studies or candidate gene analyses in humans and animal models of genetic hypertension. Generation of hypertension models by transgenic/knockout and gene transfer approaches, surgical, drug or hormonal intervention and environmental influences. Methodologies in the measurement and recording of blood pressure.
  
  
• Regulation and signaling of adrenergic receptors and G-protein coupled receptors, including activation and regulation of the relevant phospholipases, kinases, phosphatases,cyclases, arrestins and other adaptor and effector proteins as related to hypertension, regional and microcirculation, and lymphatic flow. 
  
  
• Regional measurements of blood flow including cerebral, splanchnic, skin, skeletal muscle, vasa vasorum, and renal vessels (excluding pulmonary circulation).  Modulation of flow by nitric oxide, other vasoactive agents, smooth muscles, ion channels, and gap junctions, or by gene transfer. Microcirculatory functions, including rheology, capillary pressure and fluid exchange and nutrient delivery; arteriole/vein/venule and endothelial cell function.
  
  
• Mechanotransduction, contractile and mechanical properties of smooth muscles, vascular permeability, autoregulation, response to metabolism, blood-brain barrier. Fluid dynamics and mechanics in the microcirculation; computational modeling and engineering of microvascular function and structure. Structural adaptation and remodeling of the vascular system in response to hypertension, e.g., increased peripheral resistance and microvascular rarefaction. Microvascular injury related to hypertension.
  
  
• Lymphatics including functional biology, mechanisms of fluid exchange, propulsion of lymph and lymphatic tone, pathophysiological processes contributing to primary and secondary lymphedema, and treatment of lymphedema.
  
  

HM has the following shared interests within the CVS IRG:

There are shared interests in neural regulation of the cardiovascular system, reactive oxygen/nitrogen species, receptors, cell biology, and signaling with other study sections in this IRG.  Assignment to HM will be appropriate when the primary focus is on the mechanism of hypertension and neural and endocrine control of the cardiovascular system. Specific shared interest may occur with applications dealing with:

• With Vascular Cell and Molecular Biology [VCMB]: VCMB focuses on studies of the microcirculation at the cell and molecular levels.  Applications addressing integrated and regional microvasculature function are more appropriately assigned to HM.
  
      
• With Myocardial Ischemia and Metabolism [MIM]:  Studies that focus on coronary circulation will be assigned to MIM.  In most cases, regional blood flow, microcirculation, lymphatic flow and function will be assigned to HM.
  
        
• With Clinical and Integrative Cardiovascular Sciences [CICS]: Patient oriented research on hypertension may be assigned to CICS. Vertebrate animal studies of integrative aspects of the cardiovascular system may be assigned to HM.
  

HM has the following shared interests outside the CVS IRG:

• With the Cell Biology [CB] IRG: There are shared interests in the cellular and molecular foundations of hypertension. (1) When the focus is a general understanding of cellular or molecular biology, assignment could be to the CB IRG. When the focus is an understanding of the biology of hypertension or microcirculation, including the mechanisms of action of endogenous vasoactive substances or reactive oxygen species, assignment could be to HM.  (2) Studies on a fundamental cellular and molecular understanding of the regulation and signaling of adrenergic receptors and G-protein coupled receptors, including the activation and regulation of the relevant phospholipases, kinases, phosphatases and cyclases, may be assigned to the CB IRG.  The regulation and signaling of adrenergic receptors and G-protein coupled receptors as related to hypertension, regional and microcirculation, or lymphatic flow may be assigned to HM.
• With the Genes, Genomes and Genetics [GGG] IRG: Shared interests involve genetic analysis of hypertension and microcirculation. Studies of the genetic analyses of mechanisms of blood pressure regulation and hypertension could be assigned to HM.  Studies of quantitative genetics, genetic epidemiology and genetic analysis of complex traits, and genetically engineered animals with an emphasis on genetics rather than mechanisms of blood pressure regulation and hypertension may be assigned to the GGG IRG.
• With the Biology of Development and Aging [BDA] IRG:  Studies on aging where the primary focus is on hypertension or microcirculation could be assigned to HM.  Studies on the cardiovascular system that are testing hypotheses about mechanisms of aging that affect multiple systems or non-cardiovascular tissues could be assigned to the BDA IRG.  Studies on cardiovascular function or properties that are part of studies of multiple age-related changes in physiology or body composition (e.g., fat, cardiovascular and bone) could also be assigned to the BDA IRG.
• With the Health of the Population [HOP] IRG: Applications in which the primary outcomes are population studies related to demographics or epidemiology may generally be assigned to the HOP IRG.  Applications on the diseases, disorders, or functional consequences of behaviors could be assigned to HM.  
• With the Risk, Prevention, and Health Behavior [RPHB] IRG:  Behavior modification directed toward the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, including psychological aspects, could be assigned to the RPHB IRG.  Applications on the diseases, disorders, or functional consequences of behaviors could be assigned to HM.  
• With the Biobehavioral and Behavioral Processes [BBBP] IRG: Studies emphasizing the effects of acute or chronic psychological stress on cardiovascular endpoints, including blood pressure, may be assigned to the BBBP IRG. Research on psychoneuroimmune and psychoneuroendocrine mechanisms in cardiovascular function, exercise as a moderator of the effects of stress on cardiovascular function, and interactions between emotion, personality, psychopathology and cardiovascular function (including reactivity) may be assigned to the BBBP IRG.  Applications on the diseases, disorders, or functional consequences of behaviors that lead to hypertension could be assigned to HM.   
• With the Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition and Reproductive Sciences [EMNR] IRG:  In general, applications studying hormonal regulatory mechanisms where the primary focus is on systemic or regional circulation, or hypertension, including preclampsia, could be assigned to HM.  Basic or clinical studies that focus primarily on the role of hormones may be assigned to the EMNR IRG.  Applications that directly relate to maternal and fetal cardiovascular physiology and disease could also be assigned to the EMNR IRG.    
• With the Respiratory Sciences [RES] IRG:  In general applications on regional blood flow could be assigned to HM.  Pulmonary blood flow studies would in general be assigned to the RES IRG.     
• With the Renal and Urological Sciences [RUS] IRG:  Assignment of applications as they relate to hypertension, including the role of renal hemodynamics, tubular function, and renal humoral/hormonal agents, may be made to either the HM or the RUS IRG based on the central focus of the study.  However, clinical studies of hypertension would be assigned to the CVS IRG.  Renal hemodynamics, tubular function, and renal humoral/hormonal agents as they affect other aspects of renal function may be assigned to the RUS IRG.  Hypertension associated with renal insufficiency or end-stage renal disease would also be assigned to the RUS IRG. 
• With the Integrative, Functional and Cognitive Neurosciences [IFCN] IRG. In general, the HM study section would be assigned applications that focus on cellular and molecular studies of the autonomic nervous system control of the cardiovascular system.  Similarly, applications focusing on mechanisms underlying general homeostasis and other integrative mechanisms and functions of the autonomic nervous systems would be assigned to the IFCN IRG. 
• With the Brain Disorders and Clinical Neurosciene [BDCN] IRG:  Studies dealing with cerebral circulation and hemodynamics may be assigned to HM. Studies that focus on cerebral blood flow and metabolism in the context of neuroimaging for analysis of brain and spinal cord disease or injury, or the functional consequences of ischemia, hypoxia, stroke, or hypoxia on brain or spinal cord function, could be assigned to the BDCN IRG.