Human Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory

Location Colorado State University Moby-B Complex HPCRL Room 111 Phone: 970-491-6702	Lab Director Frank A. Dinenno, Ph.D. Phone: 970-491-3203 Faculty Web Site	Lab Members (L to R): Brett Kirby, Frank Dinenno, Ph.D., Erica Smith, Wyatt Voyles, M.D., Rachel Markwald
Current Lab Members Graduate Students Brett Kirby (M.S.) Erica Smith (M.S.) Rachel Markwald (M.S.) Research Collaborators Wyatt Voyles, M.D. Chris Bell, Ph.D.

Mission

The mission of the laboratory is to understand how the nervous system and local factors interact to regulate vascular function under a variety of conditions in humans. Our research studies are aimed at understanding 3 primary areas of cardiovascular physiology:

• the acute, integrative control of skeletal muscle blood vessel tone during various stressors such as exercise and hypoxia/hypercapnia.
• the influence of ?healthy? aging, as well as specific disease states (e.g., heart failure), on vascular control and function.
• the effects of specific interventions (e.g. aerobic exercise training) on cardiovascular function and how this may impact on human health and disease.

Research Capabilities

Click here to see experimental set-ups

The equipment used in the laboratory is state-of-the-art and provides the ability to make sophisticated and accurate measures of cardiovascular function in humans. Below is a brief overview of our research capabilities in the lab:

• High-resolution ultrasonography is used to image large peripheral arteries for the determination of vascular structure and function, as well as to measure regional (muscle) blood flow during various perturbations.
• Microneurography is used to measure and record the direct electrical activity of peripheral sympathetic nerves, thus providing information on regional neural vasoconstriction and how this influences blood pressure regulation.
• Venous occlusion plethysmography is used to measure limb vascular responsiveness to intra-arterial administration of vasoactive drugs for the understanding of blood vessel function in human health and disease.
• The Cardiocap/5 anesthesia monitor is used for intra-arterial blood pressure recordings, as well as the precise monitoring of oxygen saturation (and other respiratory variables) during acute manipulations in systemic oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.
• Various exercise ergometers are used to study the control of muscle blood flow during muscle contractions (i.e., exercise).

Interested in being a research subject? Free body composition and bone density assessment is included for all subject participants, and subject compensation is included for specific research studies. Please call Brett Kirby or Rachel Markwald for more information regarding potential participation in our studies (970-491-6702).

Current Research Projects

• The interaction between the sympathetic nervous system and ?local? factors in the regulation of muscle blood flow and vascular tone, and how this is affected by aging.
• The effects of aging on the ability of the sympathetic nervous system to evoke vasoconstriction in the leg vasculature at rest and during exercise.
• Influence of regular aerobic exercise on limb vascular function in heart failure patients (slated to begin January 2006).

Current Funding

• 2003-2008 ?Aging and Sympathetic Vasoconstriction: rest vs exercise?. National Institute on Aging, Mentored Research Scientist Development Award.