Vascular plaque biology in two parts: Macrophage oxidative stress and spectral X‑ray imaging
In this seminar I will be describing two parts of our work on cardiovascular disease.
The first half will cover our studies on the compound 7,8-dihydroneopterin. This compound is released by human macrophages which are a type of white blood cell found within atherosclerotic plaques. Atherosclerotic plaques are growths of inflammatory cells within the artery wall. It is the rupture of these artery plaques and the resulting blood clots that cause strokes and heart attacks.
Neopterin is the oxidation product of 7,8-dihydroneopterin and its levels increase with the severity of cardiovascular disease. We have shown that artery plaques are the source of the plasma neopterin and 7,8-dihydroneopterin measured in cardiovascular disease patients. What converts the 7,8-dihydroneopterin to neopterin was not known and therefore we were uncertain what it meant when the ratios of these two compounds changed.
Though a series of experiments we have identified the oxidant reacting with the 7,8-dihydroneopterin to generating the neopterin. I will discuss the wider implications of this finding in the talk.
In the second half of the talk I will show case the work we have been doing on imaging artery plaques using Photon Count Spectral X‑ray Computer Tomography machines built by MARS Bio Imaging Ltd. I will unpack this statement and show how colour X‑ray machines will change X‑ray imaging as we know it.
Zoom details
Zoom link for Associate Professor Steven Gieseg's seminar
Zoom password: bioc
| Date | Tuesday, 31 May 2022 |
|---|---|
| Time | 12:00pm - 1:00pm |
| Audience | Undergraduate students,Postgraduate students,Staff |
| Event Category | Health Sciences |
| Event Type |
Seminar |
| Campus | Dunedin |
| Department | Biochemistry |
| Location | Biochemistry Seminar Room G.13 (BIG13), Dunedin and online via Zoom |
| Cost | Free |
| Contact Name | Department of Biochemistry |
| Contact Email | biochemistry@otago.ac.nz |
