Research Themes

1. Elucidating the control mechanism of abnormal contraction in vascular smooth muscles
2. Elucidating the neural basis for heat acclimation and preventive measures for heat stroke

Details

1. With vascular smooth muscle, the behavior of intracellular calcium ions and contraction-regulating proteins differs according to whether the contraction is normal and regulates blood pressure, or abnormal and causing pathological vasospasm. We found the involvement of intermediate filament and protease in abnormal vascular smooth muscle contraction and are investigating the mechanism by which they activate the contraction-regulating proteins.
2. Heat stroke during summer is becoming a serious problem in society. Heat acclimation shaped by continuous exercise and heat exposure is effective in preventing heat stroke, but the mechanism remains unclear. We are investigating the neural basis for heat acclimation towards establishing preventive measures for heat stroke.