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Simvastatin inhibits L-type Ca 2+ -channel activity through impairment of mitochondrial function (2019)
Journal Article
Curry, L., Almukhtar, H., Alahmed, J., Roberts, R., & Smith, P. A. (2019). Simvastatin inhibits L-type Ca 2+ -channel activity through impairment of mitochondrial function. Toxicological Sciences, 169(2), 543–552. https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfz068

Plasma membrane ion channels and mitochondrial electron transport complexes (mETC) are recognised “off-targets” for certain drugs. Simvastatin is one such drug, a lipophilic statin used to treat hypercholesterolaemia, but which is also associated wit... Read More about Simvastatin inhibits L-type Ca 2+ -channel activity through impairment of mitochondrial function.

Simvastatin inhibits L-type Ca2+-channel activity through impairment of mitochondrial function (2019)
Journal Article
Curry, L., Almukhtar, H., Alahmed, J., Roberts, R., & Smith, P. A. (2019). Simvastatin inhibits L-type Ca2+-channel activity through impairment of mitochondrial function. Toxicological Sciences, 169(2), 543–552. https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfz068

© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. Plasma membrane ion channels and mitochondrial electron transport complexes (mETC) are recognized "off targets" for certain drugs. Simvastatin is one s... Read More about Simvastatin inhibits L-type Ca2+-channel activity through impairment of mitochondrial function.

Targeted inhibition of Gq signaling induces airway relaxation in mouse models of asthma (2017)
Journal Article
Matthey, M., Roberts, R., Seidinger, A., Simon, A., Schröder, R., Kuschak, M., …Wenzel, D. (in press). Targeted inhibition of Gq signaling induces airway relaxation in mouse models of asthma. Science Translational Medicine, 9(407), https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.aag2288

Obstructive lung diseases are common causes of disability and death worldwide. A hallmark feature is aberrant activation of Gq protein–dependent signaling cascades. Currently, drugs targeting single G protein (heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide–bindin... Read More about Targeted inhibition of Gq signaling induces airway relaxation in mouse models of asthma.

Sex differences in the role of phospholipase A2-dependent arachidonic acid pathway in the perivascular adipose tissue function in pigs (2017)
Journal Article
Ahmad, A. A., Randall, M. D., & Roberts, R. E. (2017). Sex differences in the role of phospholipase A2-dependent arachidonic acid pathway in the perivascular adipose tissue function in pigs. Journal of Physiology, 595(21), https://doi.org/10.1113/JP274831

Previous studies have demonstrated that perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) causes vasoconstriction. In this present study, we determined the role of cyclooxygenase-derived prostanoids in this contractile response and determined whether there were any... Read More about Sex differences in the role of phospholipase A2-dependent arachidonic acid pathway in the perivascular adipose tissue function in pigs.

Sex differences in the regulation of porcine coronary artery tone by perivascular adipose tissue: a role of adiponectin? (2017)
Journal Article
Ahmad, A., Randall, M. D., & Roberts, R. E. (in press). Sex differences in the regulation of porcine coronary artery tone by perivascular adipose tissue: a role of adiponectin?. British Journal of Pharmacology, 174(16), https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.13902

Background and Purpose- As there is sexual dimorphism in the regulation of vascular tone, the aim of this present study was to determine whether there are sex differences in perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) - mediated regulation of the porcine coro... Read More about Sex differences in the regulation of porcine coronary artery tone by perivascular adipose tissue: a role of adiponectin?.

A critical role for cystathionine-?-synthase in hydrogen sulfide-mediated hypoxic relaxation of the coronary artery (2017)
Journal Article
Donovan, J., Wong, P., Roberts, R. E., Garle, M., Alexander, S. P., Dunn, W. R., & Ralevic, V. (2017). A critical role for cystathionine-?-synthase in hydrogen sulfide-mediated hypoxic relaxation of the coronary artery. Vascular Pharmacology, 93-95, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vph.2017.05.004

Hypoxia-induced coronary artery vasodilatation protects the heart by increasing blood flow under ischemic conditions, however its mechanism is not fully elucidated. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is reported to be an oxygen sensor/transducer in the vasculatu... Read More about A critical role for cystathionine-?-synthase in hydrogen sulfide-mediated hypoxic relaxation of the coronary artery.

?9-tetrahydrocannabinol reverses TNF?-induced increase in airway epithelial cell permeability through CB2 receptors (2016)
Journal Article
Shang, V. C., Kendall, D. A., & Roberts, R. E. (in press). ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol reverses TNF?-induced increase in airway epithelial cell permeability through CB2 receptors. Biochemical Pharmacology, 120, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2016.09.008

Despite pharmacological treatment, bronchial hyperresponsiveness continues to deteriorate as airway remodelling persists in airway inflammation. Previous studies have demonstrated that the phytocannabinoid ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)reverses bronch... Read More about ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol reverses TNF?-induced increase in airway epithelial cell permeability through CB2 receptors.

Effect of simvastatin on vascular tone in porcine coronary artery: potential role of the mitochondria (2016)
Journal Article
Almukhtar, H., Garle, M., Smith, P., & Roberts, R. E. (2016). Effect of simvastatin on vascular tone in porcine coronary artery: potential role of the mitochondria. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 305, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2016.06.024

Statins induce acute vasorelaxation which may contribute to the overall benefits of statins in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. The mechanism underlying this relaxation is unknown. As statins have been shown to alter mitochondrial function, i... Read More about Effect of simvastatin on vascular tone in porcine coronary artery: potential role of the mitochondria.

The endogenous cannabinoid anandamide increases human airway epithelial cell permeability through an arachidonic acid metabolite (2016)
Journal Article
Shang, V., O'Sullivan, S., Kendall, D., & Roberts, R. E. (2016). The endogenous cannabinoid anandamide increases human airway epithelial cell permeability through an arachidonic acid metabolite. Pharmacological Research, 105, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2016.01.023

Injury to the bronchial epithelium in respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD results in the lossof barrier function and an elevated sensitivity to environmental insults. An increased release of theendogenous cannabinoid, anandamide in response... Read More about The endogenous cannabinoid anandamide increases human airway epithelial cell permeability through an arachidonic acid metabolite.

Hyperoxic gassing with Tiron enhances bradykinin-induced endothelium-dependent and EDH-type relaxation through generation of hydrogen peroxide (2014)
Journal Article
Wong, P. S., Roberts, R. E., & Randall, M. D. (2015). Hyperoxic gassing with Tiron enhances bradykinin-induced endothelium-dependent and EDH-type relaxation through generation of hydrogen peroxide. Pharmacological Research, 91, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2014.11.001

Oxygenation with 95%O2is routinely used in organ bath studies. However, hyperoxia may affect tissueresponses, particularly in studies which involve reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here, the effects of theantioxidant, Tiron, were investigated under dif... Read More about Hyperoxic gassing with Tiron enhances bradykinin-induced endothelium-dependent and EDH-type relaxation through generation of hydrogen peroxide.

A role for the sodium pump in H2O2-induced vasorelaxation in porcine isolated coronary arteries (2014)
Journal Article
Wong, P., Garle, M., Alexander, S., Randall, M., & Roberts, R. (2014). A role for the sodium pump in H2O2-induced vasorelaxation in porcine isolated coronary arteries. Pharmacological Research, 90, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2014.09.004

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been proposed to act as a factor for endothelium-derived hyperpolar-ization (EDH) and EDH may act as a ‘back up’ system to compensate the loss of the NO pathway. Here,the mechanism of action of H2O2in porcine isolated cor... Read More about A role for the sodium pump in H2O2-induced vasorelaxation in porcine isolated coronary arteries.

Sex differences in endothelial function in porcine coronary arteries: a role for H2O2and gap junctions? (2014)
Journal Article
Wong, P., Roberts, R., & Randall, M. (2014). Sex differences in endothelial function in porcine coronary arteries: a role for H2O2and gap junctions?. British Journal of Pharmacology, 171(11), https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.12595

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cardiovascular risk is higher in men and postmenopausal women compared with premenopausal women. This may be due to sex differences in endothelial function. Here, sex differences in endothelial function of porcine coronary art... Read More about Sex differences in endothelial function in porcine coronary arteries: a role for H2O2and gap junctions?.

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway: a potential therapeutic target in hypertension (2012)
Journal Article
Roberts, R. E. (2012). The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway: a potential therapeutic target in hypertension. Journal of Experimental Pharmacology, 4, https://doi.org/10.2147/JEP.S28907

Hypertension is a risk factor for myocardial infarction, stroke, renal failure, heart failure, and peripheral vascular disease. One feature of hypertension is a hyperresponsiveness to contractile agents, and inhibition of vasoconstriction forms the b... Read More about The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway: a potential therapeutic target in hypertension.