Ross J Jr. Progressive cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis in the cardiomyopathic hamster and effects of growth hormone and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition. Chronic phospholamban-sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase interaction is the critical calcium cycling defect in dilated cardiomyopathy. Generally, two or three postdoctoral trainees have been accommodated in this laboratory and the proposed studies could occupy two postdoctoral trainees full time. The principal investigator works regularly with the trainees in the analysis and interpretation of data, sources of error, and experimental design. Trainees will be asked to develop hypotheses and to develop physiologic experiments, and at frequent laboratory sessions the progress and problems in these designs and protocols will be examined.
All trainees participate in a course in advanced ardiovascular physiology.
Trainees will also learn a variety of technical skills in the experimental use of mice, rats, and rabbits, such as operative techniques, instrument implantation, ultrasonic transducer design and operation, techniques of pressure recording, use of radioactive microspheres, and data reduction.