Washington University in St. Louis (WU)
The focus of our investigative efforts is on the role of myocardial metabolic remodeling in both normal and abnormal cardiac states. Quantification of myocardial perfusion and substrate metabolism is performed with positron emission tomography using novel PET radiopharmaceuticals and well-validated kinetic models. The measurements of myocardial perfusion and metabolism are then correlated to measurements of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function obtained with either echocardiography or MRI. These measurements are obtained in variety models of disease ranging from rodents to humans. Active areas of investigation include the role nitric oxide and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor on the age related decline in myocardial fatty acid metabolism, the effect of fatty acid delivery on myocardial substrate metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus, and the relationship between myocardial and whole-body substrate metabolism in obesity.