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College of Sciences and Engineering

Dr. Subramanyam N. Murthy Activities

My research interest has always centered around intermediary metabolism, insulin resistance, nutrition, toxicology, and pulmonary hypertension (PH) and related fields. While working with euglycemic and insulin resistance animals, carotid artery denudation and recovery was used to investigate several anti-diabetic drugs for their pleiotropic effects, especially attenuation of the hyperplastic response that is seen during recovery. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty has been a major tool for the management of coronary artery disease. The effectiveness of this technique remains substantially limited as during recovery from trauma and abrasion, intimal hyperplasia ensues in that specific segment of the artery. This hyperplastic response is considered a primary mechanism responsible for restenosis within the first 6 months. Experiments were conducted on normal and insulin resistant rats, and also under various nutritional alterations; hyperhomocysteinemia as an example. In the context of PH, using an experimental model of PH several prospective drug candidates for the treatment of PH were tested for their selective hypotensive effects on the pulmonary vascular bed. Invariably many of these candidate drugs also reduced the systemic pressure despite claims of a selective effect. 

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are major public health concerns globally with high morbidity and mortality. Both CVD and NAFLD are associated with high circulating levels of Cholesterol (Cho) and homocysteine (Hcy), an intermediate in the metabolism of methionine (Met). NAFLD comprises a spectrum of increasingly harmful conditions ranging from fat deposition in the liver (simple steatosis) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which advances to liver fibrosis and end-stage cirrhosis that could culminate in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Animal products form major dietary components in the US and other developing countries, and they are rich in both Cho and Met (risk factors for CVD and NAFLD) and not many studies on the dietary combination exist especially in the liver tissue. Therefore, using male adult Sprague Dawley rats, investigating the effects of a dietary combination of Cho and Met (precursor of Hcy) on the liver, heart and vasculature was undertaken. We have also investigated the role of sitagliptin, an antidiabetic drug in rats fed these diets for changes in inflammation and oxidative stress. Several of this research findings (published recently) have yielded useful information and are being worked on more since many of the findings are not only interesting but also could have translational value.

One of the main objectives in the ongoing work is to explore the possibilities of understanding more about Lean NAFLD and markers of progression of NAFLD and portal hypertension using rodent sources. In the heart tissue, markers of pulmonary hypertension (immuno-histological evaluation included) and right ventricular hypertrophy is being undertaken specially to understand the effects of the liver on heart and vice versa. Additionally, using cell culture studies the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative and related benefits of feeding Met and its metabolites are being explored.  

Published over 65 peer reviewed manuscripts including 7 book chapters; involved in close to 100 presentations (podium and poster) in national and international meetings.

 

Links to PubMed & Google Scholar

 

subramanyam murthy - Search Results - PubMed (nih.gov)

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=VbH7RmwAAAAJ&hl=en

 

EDITORIAL ASSIGNMENTS

Book on 'Free Radicals and Antioxidant Protocols Series: Methods in Molecular Biology', Uppu RM; Murthy SN; Pryor WA; Parinandi NL. (Eds.); Humana Press.

 

AD HOC JOURNAL REVIEWER

1.Diabetes

2.British Journal of Nutrition

3.Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications

4.Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

5.Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology

6.Frontiers in Bioscience.

 

DEPARTMENTAL AND INSTITUTIONAL COMMITTEES

 2008 - 2012 Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Tulane University School of Medicine

 2008-12 Interviewer for admission to MD, PhD and fellowship program in endocrinology at Tulane SOM

 2007- Member on several PhD and MS dissertation committees.

 

INVITED SPEAKER

National Institute of Nutrition (Indian Council of Med Res), Hyderabad, India

MV Diabetes Center, Chennai

International Institute of Bio-Technology and Toxicology, Chennai, India

Gnana Sanjeevini Medical Center-Endocrnology Diabetes Center, Bangalore, India

'Training Workshop on Non-invasive Techniques in Small Laboratory Animal Physiology', Hyderabad

Department of Physiology, Tulane SOM

 

 

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