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Environmental GeneticsThe primary objective of this project is to identify the mode of inheritance of susceptibility to the cardiopulmonary response to inhaled particles in the mouse, and to identify and map the susceptibility genes. These experiments represent extensions of the group’s previous studies and focus on the integrated cardiopulmonary effects of particulate exposures. One of the projects identifies QTLs for vanadium pentoxide (V2O5)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. A related investigation has been designed to investigate whether viral infection enhances pulmonary fibrosis and the mechanisms whereby this enhancement occurs. Another research effort has focused on understanding the genetic basis for inter-individual differences in heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), which have become increasingly useful clinical tools for assessment of autonomic nervous system function and cardiovascular health. The group utilized radiotelemetry methods in inbred mice to identify QTLs for baseline HR and HRV and for changes in these measures following inhalation challenge with particulates and oxidants. Ongoing Projects in the Laboratory:
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