Exercise and shear rate patterns: targeting age related atherosclerosis
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: Institute of Membrane & Systems Biology
Abstract
The blood vessel wall becomes stiffer with the aging process and this negatively impacts the frictional
forces (shear) experienced by the cells lining the vessel wall (endothelial cells). In addition these cells
display age related dysfunction that increases the risk of atherosclerosis
(http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/123/17/1900.full). At the University of Leeds (Birch/Greenwood)
this project will investigate how exercise can be manipulated to produce differing magnitudes and
patterns of shear stress along arterial vascular walls. Acute or chronic exercise regimes may include
traditional moderate intensity exercise, exercise performed as high intensity intervals, exercise
performed in pyramids and manipulated for total energy expenditure/work. These regimes can be
stratified to aging and/or patient populations.
Blood flow in the coronary vessels, the aorta, the brachial and femoral arteries will be evaluated
during exercise, and following an exercise intervention, using both ultrasound and magnetic
resonance imaging so that shear, direction of shear and oscillations in shear can be modelled and
thus reproduced over coronary artery cells within an incubator. The project will include training in
Doppler ultrasound and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging during exercise
(http://heartresearch.org.uk/spending-money/cardiac-mri,
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/expphysiol.2011.062836/abstract) and then in the biology of
endothelial cells and cell signalling processes in the laboratory of Prof. Paul Evans, Dept
Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Sheffield (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25230814).
This biology will assess the key pathways of inflammation and atherosclerosis.
The impact of specific exercise regimes upon shear rate profiles and subsequent endothelial cell
biology will be examined at different points in the aging and pathological process. Thus the research
student will have training in interdisciplinary techniques pertinent to translational medicine and will
utilise these skills to evaluate whether targeted exercise can alleviate those aspects of the aging
process that lead to pathology. It may be that popular interval exercise is in fact detrimental to
endothelial cells once aging characteristics are present and that constant shear offers the most
effective stimulus to the cells. The fact that real life shear profiles can be determined via imaging
offers a distinct novel approach to these questions.
forces (shear) experienced by the cells lining the vessel wall (endothelial cells). In addition these cells
display age related dysfunction that increases the risk of atherosclerosis
(http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/123/17/1900.full). At the University of Leeds (Birch/Greenwood)
this project will investigate how exercise can be manipulated to produce differing magnitudes and
patterns of shear stress along arterial vascular walls. Acute or chronic exercise regimes may include
traditional moderate intensity exercise, exercise performed as high intensity intervals, exercise
performed in pyramids and manipulated for total energy expenditure/work. These regimes can be
stratified to aging and/or patient populations.
Blood flow in the coronary vessels, the aorta, the brachial and femoral arteries will be evaluated
during exercise, and following an exercise intervention, using both ultrasound and magnetic
resonance imaging so that shear, direction of shear and oscillations in shear can be modelled and
thus reproduced over coronary artery cells within an incubator. The project will include training in
Doppler ultrasound and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging during exercise
(http://heartresearch.org.uk/spending-money/cardiac-mri,
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/expphysiol.2011.062836/abstract) and then in the biology of
endothelial cells and cell signalling processes in the laboratory of Prof. Paul Evans, Dept
Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Sheffield (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25230814).
This biology will assess the key pathways of inflammation and atherosclerosis.
The impact of specific exercise regimes upon shear rate profiles and subsequent endothelial cell
biology will be examined at different points in the aging and pathological process. Thus the research
student will have training in interdisciplinary techniques pertinent to translational medicine and will
utilise these skills to evaluate whether targeted exercise can alleviate those aspects of the aging
process that lead to pathology. It may be that popular interval exercise is in fact detrimental to
endothelial cells once aging characteristics are present and that constant shear offers the most
effective stimulus to the cells. The fact that real life shear profiles can be determined via imaging
offers a distinct novel approach to these questions.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| KM Birch (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Abigail Cook (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MR/N013840/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2025 | |||
| 1789873 | Studentship | MR/N013840/1 | 01/10/2016 | 31/03/2020 | Abigail Cook |
| Description | Blog post for The Physiological Society |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Blog post briefly describing how exercise effects shear stress and the relationship to endothelial health |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://physocblogs.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/the-shear-effect-of-exercise/ |
| Description | Discovery Zone |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Talking to KS2 and KS3 school children about how exercise changes blood flow and heart rate and explaining ways they can be active. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019 |