Research Techniques

Macrovascular function: Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD)

We utilize FMD to evaluate the response of the brachial artery (conduit vessel) to a brief bout of ischemia and the resulting reactive hyperemia. The picture to the right shows the use of an ultrasound machine to perform this measurement. We have several ultrasounds available among our larger cardiovascular group including a LOGIQ S8 high performance ultrasound (GE Healthcare), LOGIQ P5 high performance ultrasound, and 2 LOGIQ e high performance portable ultrasounds (GE Healthcare) with high resolution linear and cardiac transducers.

Microvascular Function: Intradermal microdialysis

This technique allows us to examine microvascular responses to our perturbations. In this instance, we use the cutaneous (or skin) circulation to assess changes in the microvasculature. The following equipment supports this measurement: laser doppler system; four-channel moorLAB laser Doppler system with skin heating units (Moor Instruments, Devon, UK); Bee Hive syringe pump controller and Baby Bee syringe pumps (Bioanalytical Systems, West Lafayette, IN).

Arterial stiffness

We utilize carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) to measure arterial stiffness. PWV is considered a strong independent predictor of cardiovascular disease risk. We also perform pulse wave analysis to record peripheral waveforms allowing us to generate a central perform and derive augmentation index and central pressure. For these measures, we the following equipment available to us: Sphygmocor PVx system (Atcor Medical, Sydney, Australia), SphygmoCor XCEL PWA/PWV system (Atcor Medical, Sydney, Australia), Sphygmocor CPV system (Atcor Medical, Sydney, Australia).

Wet Lab space

Our shared web lab space contains multiple pieces of equipment including:

• Equipment for blood and urine measures: HemoCue Hb 201⁺; READACRIT Centrifuge (Becton Dickenson); Advanced 3D3 Osmometer (Advanced Instruments, Inc.) hand-held refractometer for urine specific gravity; Checker 1 portable pH tester (Hanna Instruments, Woonsocket, RI); Accutrend Lactate (Mannheim, Germany)
• ImageXpress Pico Automated Cell Imaging System (Molecular Devices)
• EMXnano (Bruker)
• Jess, Easy Western blotting
• Microplate readers: Synergy H1 Monochromator Based Multi-mode Microplate Reader Synergy (Biotek); SpectraMax 340PC microplate reader (Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, CA)
• Centrifuges: (2) Refrigerated centrifuges (Eppendorff, Revco); (1) Refrigerated microcentrifuge (Fisher Scientific, Hampton, NH)
• Balances: Denver Instruments Pinnacle Analytical Balance; Ohaus Pro Precision Electronic Balance
• pH meter: Accument pH meter (Cole Parmer)
• -80C freezers, standard refrigerators
• Scotsman icemaker
• Ventilated hood