Norma C. Adragna, Ph.D. Professor Co-Director, Cell Biophysics Group Campus Address: 050 Biological Sciences Building Phone: (937) 775-2104 Fax: (937) 775-2759 E-mail: norma.adragna@wright.edu

Education

Biochemist Degree (1969), National University of Córdoba, Argentina
Ph.D in Biochemistry (1973), National University of Córdoba, Argentina

Research Interests

Ion Transport and Vascular Cells (Erythrocytes, Endothelial and Smooth Muscle) in Health and Disease

Research involves the role of ion transport abnormalities in the etiology and treatment of diseases such as myocardial infarction, essential hypertension, sickle cell anemia, Alzheimer’s disease, and in the mechanism of aging. The main focus of the research is on the characterization, regulation, including signal transduction, and expression of ion transport systems and their relationship to abnormal cellular function and to cellular aging. Main cell models are cultured vascular endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and red blood cells. The main techniques used are measurement of ion fluxes by atomic and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry or by radiotracers, flow cytometry, use of fluorescent dyes, and molecular biological techniques for isolation, cloning and expression, in Xenopus oocytes and by cell transfection, of transport systems, in particular, the K-Cl cotransporter.

Selected Publications:

Signal Transduction Mechanisms of K-Cl cotransport regulation and their relationship to disease. Adragna NC, Ferrell CM, Zhang J, Di Fulvio M, Temprana CF, Sharma A, Fyffe REW, Cool DR, Lauf PK. Acta Phys Scand 187: 125-39, 2006. (Invited Review) [Abstract]

Cell Volume and Signaling. Lauf PK and Adragna NC, eds. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. Springer Verlag, NY. Vol 559: 2004. [Abstract]

Hypertension in K-Cl cotransporter-3 knockout mice. Adragna NC, Chen Y, Delpire E, Lauf PK, Morris M. In: Cell Volume and Signaling. Lauf PK and Adragna NC, eds. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. Springer Verlag, NY. Vol 559: 379-387, 2004. [Abstract]

Regulation of K-Cl cotransport: from function to genes. Adragna NC, Di Fulvio M, Lauf PK. J Membrane Biol. 201: 109-137, 2004. (Invited Review)

Erythrocyte signal transduction pathways, their oxygenation dependence and functional significance. Barvitenko NN, Adragna NC, Weber RE. Cell Physiol Biochem. 15: 1-18, 2004. (Review) [Abstract]

Platelet-derived growth factor regulates K-Cl cotransport in vascular smooth muscle cells. Zhang J, Lauf PK, Adragna NC. Am. J. Physiol. 284: C674-C680, 2003. [Abstract]

Nitric oxide signaling pathway regulates the potassium-chloride cotransporter-1 mRNA expression in vascular smooth muscle cells. Di Fulvio M, Lauf PK, Adragna NC. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 44534-40, 2001.

Hydroxyurea affects cell morphology, cation transport and red cell adhesion in cultured vascular endothelial cells. Adragna NC, Fonseca P, Lauf PK. Blood 83: 553-560, 1994. [Abstract]

Cation transport in vascular endothelial cells and aging. Adragna NC. J. Membrane Biol., 124: 258-291, 1991. [Abstract]

Cyclic stretching affects sodium and potassium transport in vascular endothelial cells and its response to bradykinin. Adragna NC. J. Vasc. Med. Biol. 3: 61-67, 1991.

For more information, contact:
Norma Adragna, Ph.D.
Professor
Co-Director, Cell Biophysics Group
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Boonshoft School of Medicine
Wright State University
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy.
Dayton, OH 45435-0001