962035. Group of Pharmacology and Vascular Physiopathology

The objective of this line of research is to characterize the effects and mechanisms of action of vasoactive factors that modulate the pulmonary vascular tone, the interactions between them and how they are altered in pathological situations. Our focus is primarily to get a better knowledge of the molecular pathways altered in disease and contribute to vasoconstriction, proliferation and inflammation. We have studied some important mediators such as thromboxane A2, isoprostanes, endothelin-1, angiotensin II and 5-HT, hypoxia and nitric oxide as well as intracellular signalling mechanisms: cytosolic Ca2+, Ca2+ and K+ currents, protein kinases, reactive oxygen species, sphingolipids, cyclic nucleotides and adapter proteins. We analyze the effects of various drugs that interfere with these signaling pathways and that can be potentially useful in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.