Group for Cardiovascular Research (DCR)

The main research interests of this department include current topics in the pathophysiology of experimental hypertension, postischemic acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and dyslipidemia. Special research focuses are directed to the roles of endothelin peptides, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, reactive oxygen species, and oxidative stress. In accordance with the recent trends, the group also investigate polyphenol-rich plant products in the therapy of hypertension, CKD, and dyslipidemia, using the whole plant extract as well as single active components. A special interest of this group is directed to the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning in the model of renal ischemia. These studies are conducted in three research laboratories:

1. Laboratory for Experimental Hypertension,
2. Laboratory for Experimental Nephrology, and
3. Laboratory for Experimental Biochemistry and oxidative stress.

All studies performed in this department are in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act. Strains of rats - normotensive Wistar rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are bred at the Vivarium of the University of Belgrade, Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Republic of Serbia. Experimental models of human diseases studied in this department include a model of essential hypertension (SHR, Okamoto-Aoki strain with genetically determined hypertension), model of malignant hypertension, acute renal failure model (ischemia-reperfusion-induced renal injury), model of pharmacologically and surgically induced focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, and aging/hypertension-induced progressive renal failure. In this department hemodynamic in vivo studies are very often performed and they include indirect blood pressure measurement by tail-cuff method (MRBP system, World Precision Instruments, inc.), direct blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiac output measurements (physiological data acquisition system, 9800TCR Cardiomax III-TCR - thermodilution cardiac output for mice, rats and large subjects, Columbus Instruments), as well as ultrasound measurement of blood flow through different blood vessels (Transonic T106 Small Animal Flowmeter, Transonic System Inc.). For the estimation of the kidney function, appropriate plasma and urine biochemical parameters are measured (Cobas Integra 400 plus analyzer, Hoffmann-La Roche), lipid profile (such as HDL-C, LDL-C, total cholesterol, and triglycerides, Cobas Integra 400 plus analyzer, Hoffmann-La Roche), as well as oxidative stress parameters are determined in many biological tissues and fluids. Members of this department frequently use molecular diagnostic techniques (ELISA, Western blot, etc.), while in collaboration with other departments and institutions perform pathomorphological and immunohistochemical studies. In addition, many collaborations and Ph.D. theses, mainly from the Biological Faculty University of Belgrade, are based on the research in this laboratory. Members of this group also participated in basic and Ph.D. studies at the Medical Faculty, University of Belgrade, as well as at the Veterinary Faculty, University of Belgrade. Today, the department realizes national projects, collaborates with international research groups, while the members of this department publish in relevant scientific journals and present results on leading national and international meetings. Considering their expertise, investigation of vasoactive properties of newly developed drugs (including their pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies), as well as drug effects on kidney function and oxidative stress in vivo (especially on SHR) could be a reasonable outcome for further research/collaboration.

Group for Cardiovascular Research – associates

Djurdjica Jovovic, Ph.D., Research Professor (Group Leader)

Zoran Miloradovic, Ph.D., Research Professor

Nevena Mihailovic Stanojevic, Ph.D., Research Professor

Jelica Grujic Milanovic, Ph.D., Research Professor

Milan Ivanov, Ph.D., Associate Research Professor

Danijela Karanovic, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor

Una-Jovana Vajic, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor