Reuben Blair Dodson

United Therapeutics, Research Triangle Park, United States · Regenerative Medicine Lab

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and exposure to a high‐fat diet (HFD) independently increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hyperlipidemia. In our previous studies, IUGR increased blood pressure and promoted vascular remodeling and stiffness in early life, a finding that persisted and was augmented by a maternal HFD through pos...

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and maternal high-fat diet (HFD) independently predispose offspring to hypertension. In a rat model, IUGR more so than maternal HFD increases arterial stiffness with vascular remodeling as early as postnatal day (PND) 21. The trajectory of such early vascular changes remains unknown. We hypothesized that IUGR...

The hypoxia of high-altitude (HA) residence increases the risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and preeclampsia 3-fold, augmenting perinatal morbidity and mortality and the risk for childhood and adult disease. Currently, no effective therapies exist to prevent these vascular disorders of pregnancy. The peroxisome proliferator-activated r...

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in premature newborns increases the risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disease characterized by disrupted pulmonary angiogenesis and alveolarization. We previously showed that experimental IUGR impairs angiogenesis, however, mechanisms that impair pulmonary artery endothelial cell (PAEC)...

Background Chorioamnionitis (CA) is associated with a high risk for the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) after preterm birth, but mechanisms that increase susceptibility for BPD and strategies to prevent BPD are uncertain. As a model of CA, antenatal intra-amniotic (IA) endotoxin (ETX) exposure alters placental structure, causes feta...

Objectives: The aim of this study was to measure aortic vascular stiffness from orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) patients exposed to varying types of flow as a result of the presence or absence of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support pre-OHT. Background: The effects of continuous-flow LVADs (CF-LVADs) on vascular properties are unknown...

New & noteworthy: We report intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) increases vascular stiffening in both male and female rats through increased collagen content and altered elastin structure more than a high-fat diet (HFD) alone. Our study shows the importance of stiffness supporting the hypothesis that there are physiologic differences and potent...

Background and aims: Infants with Down syndrome (DS) or Trisomy 21, are at high risk for developing pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), but mechanisms that increase susceptibility are poorly understood. Laboratory studies have shown that early disruption of angiogenesis during development impairs vascular and alveolar growth and causes PAH. Hum...

Actin protein expression. Western blot APP gel, probed with actin endogenous control. (TIF)

DSCR1 protein expression. Western blot gel for Down syndrome critical region 1 (DSCR1). (TIF)

ES protein expression. Western blot gel for endostatin (ES). (TIF)

ES protein blot. White light image of endostatin western blot. (TIF)

APP protein expression. Western blot gel probed with amyloid protein precursor (APP). (TIF)

APP protein blot. White light image of APP western blot. (TIF)

Actin protein expression. Western blot gel, actin control for DSCR1. (TIF)

DSCR1 protein blot. White light image of DSCR1 western blot. (TIF)

Actin protein expression. Western blot gel, actin control for ES. (TIF)

High pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), proximal pulmonary artery (PA) impedance, and right ventricular (RV) afterload due to remodeling contribute to the pathogenesis and severity of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Intra-amniotic exposure to endotoxin (ETX) causes sustained PH and high mortality in rat pups at birth, which is associated with impair...

-The effects of non-pulsatile flow on the aorta are unknown. Our aim was to examine the structure of the aorta from patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) and directly measure aortic wall composition and stiffness. -Age-matched aortic wall samples were collected from consecutive patients with heart failure (HF) at...

Normal development of the pulmonary circulation requires precise coordination of vascular growth, structure, and function, at the cellular, tissue, and organ levels. Progressive vascular maturation during early development is essential for a smooth transition to postnatal life. The unique characteristics of the fetal and transitional pulmonary circ...

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a clinical syndrome that is characterized by high pulmonary vascular resistance due to changes in lung vascular growth, structure, and tone. PPHN has been primarily considered as a disease of the small pulmonary arteries (PA), but proximal vascular stiffness has been shown to be an importan...

After feeding, Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) undergo physiological cardiac remodeling associated with increased cardiac output. Because the left ventricle (LV) of the heart and aorta are anatomically and mechanically coupled, we tested the hypothesis that chronic overfeeding causes aortic remodeling. Nine-month old snakes consumed 25%...

After feeding, Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) undergo physiological cardiac remodeling associated with increased cardiac output. Because the left ventricle (LV) of the heart and aorta are anatomically and mechanically coupled, we tested the hypothesis that chronic overfeeding causes aortic remodeling. Nine‐month old snakes consumed 25%...

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a fetal complication of pregnancy epidemiologically linked to cardiovascular disease in the newborn later in life. However, the mechanism is poorly understood with very little research on the vascular structure and function during development in healthy and IUGR neonates. Previously, we found vascular remod...

Objective: Preeclampsia often results in altered hemodynamics and structurally remodeled umbilical arteries in the fetus--alterations that may be associated with arterial stiffening. We therefore hypothesized that the mechanical function of preeclamptic (PE) umbilical arteries had increased stiffness compared to control. Study design: Umbilical...

Background: Fetal intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) results in increased placental resistance to blood flow, fetal hypertension, and increased pulsatility stresses shown to lead to vascular remodeling. We tested our hypothesis that IUGR causes decreased compliance in the carotid and umbilical arteries due to altered extracellular matrix (ECM)...

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a common complication that is associated with hypertension in the developing fetal sheep [1]. Hypertension reduces arterial compliance, introducing health problems such as increased overall hydraulic impedance and cardiac workload [2, 3]. Both organ resistance and vascular compliance are critical factors in...

Fetal intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) results in increased placental resistance to blood flow, fetal hypertension and increased pulsatility [1]. These hemodynamic changes have been shown to lead to vascular remodeling in adolescents and adults [2, 3] but have received little study of its effect during this critical period of vascular formati...

We tested the hypothesis that sodium nitrite treatment reverses large elastic artery stiffening in old mice via reductions in collagen I, increases in elastin and/or decreases in advanced glycation end products (AGEs) mediated by reduced oxidative stress. Aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), a measure of large elastic artery stiffness, was greater in...

Maternal diseases of pregnancy have been found to detrimentally affect the fetal circulatory system, with consequences lasting well into adulthood. In 1995, Barker introduced the idea that major disorders of adult life (including coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke and diabetes) arise not only through an interaction between factors in our...

The umbilical cord and its constituent tissues: an outer layer of amnion, porous Wharton's jelly, two umbilical arteries, and one umbilical vein, are designed to protect blood flow to the fetus during a term pregnancy. The outer amnion layer may regulate fluid pressure within the umbilical cord. The porous, fluid filled Wharton's jelly likely acts...