Paul Marvar, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology and physiology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, has received a more than $1.5 million award from the National Institutes of Health to study the psychological components of anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in assessing a possible connection between high stress and cardiovascular disease.
“Clinical evidence over the last 20 years has shown a link between individuals with post-traumatic stress and their incidence of cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, and high blood pressure,” Marvar said. “Our research will look specifically at the brain renin-angiotensin system and its role in this connection.”
The brain renin-angiotensin system is involved in the regulation of blood pressure in part through neural control mechanisms that impact the kidneys and blood vessel function. Marvar believes the angiotensin peptide and its receptors may also be a mediator in fear memory. Through the project, titled “Brain Angiotensin II as a Mediator of Fear Memory and Cardiovascular Dysfunction,” Marvar and research collaborator Peter Nemes, PhD, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Maryland at College Park, will use a highly sensitive form of mass spectrometry to look at how the peptides synthesize and to identify the sites of action.
