Sex differences in cardiovascular regulation - vive la difference!
1 November 2019 - 31 January 2020
Biography
Nina Žigon (born Japundžić) acquired an M.D. degree in 1986 with magna cum laude at Faculty of Medicine University of Belgrade. In 1988 sheobtained an M.Sci. degree in Endocrinology and Metabolism. As a scholarof the French Government and research fellow of the Association Claude Bernard, Žigon worked at Faculté de Medicine - Necker, Université René Descartes, and published pioneering scientific papers discovering thephysiological background of fast frequency variations of blood pressureand heart rate short-term variability in freely moving rats. These paperswere the core of her Ph.D. thesis defended in 1994 at the Faculty ofMedicine University of Belgrade, under shared tutorship (Paris/Belgarde).
In 2006, she specialized in Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy. At present, Žigon is professor of basic and clinical pharmacology and toxicology at Faculty of Medicine University of Belgrade. She is directing a scientific lab with 8 staff members: Dr Olivera Šarenac, senior research associate, Dr Nevena Ronto, post-doctoral fellow and 5 postgraduate students. The research is focused on hypothalamic mechanisms in neuro-cardiogenic control of the circulation in health and disease funded by Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (Republic of Serbia). With Dr. Giricz from the Faculty of Medicine University of Semmeleweis, Budapest, Žigon is investigating drug-induced cardiotoxicity, supported by bilateral collaborative scientific grant (Hungary & RS).
Summary
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in both men and women, but there are significant differences in the incidence, etiology, and outcomes between the genders. Pregnancy is a particular challenge for the cardiovascular system because significant cardiovascular and haemodynamic changes occur in pregnancy in order to provide enough nutrition for the embryo and maintain normal fetal intrauterine growth. Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) complicates 6-10% of pregnancies and is the main causes of maternal, fetal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. By performing experimentation in freely moving radio-telemetred hypertensive and normotensive female and male rats, we found striking differences during pregnancy between hypertensive and normotensive rat strains, primarily in the functioning of the baro-receptor reflex, and re-bound hypertension in hypertensive female rats after parturition. We propose to study the effects of gender, pregnancy and lactation on the transcriptome of the PVN, a key hypothalamic nucleus responsible for setting the tone of presympathetic neurons and to desensitize the baroreflex during exposure to stress and exercise. The results may indicate new drug targets for treatment of hypertension in pregnancy.
Professor Zigon is hosted by Professor David Murphy, Experimental Medicine (Bristol Medical School)
Planned lectures and talks include:
All lectures are taking place in the Dorothy Hodgkin Building (DHB) in Lecture Theatre B (LTB)
