James R Sowers, M.D.
Vice Chair, Professor of MedicineOffice Location: D109 Endocrinology, School of Medicine
Office Phone: (573) 882-2273
sowersj@health.missouri.edu
Research Interests
Cellular mechanisms of insulin action.
Research Description
Dr. Sowers has been examining the cellular mechanisms of insulin action for three decades, focusing primarily on in vitro analysis of animal models. He has developed an international reputation in this field and routinely uses the methods to determine insulin action and oxidative stress in tissue. He also serves as a Co-Investigator on grants with Dr. Jamal Ibdah, at the University of Missouri, and with Dr. Meredith Hay, Vice-President for Research at the University of Iowa. His ongoing scientific work is funded by NIH, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and the American Diabetes Association.
Professional Background
James R. Sowers, MD, is responsible for the leadership and administration of the cores involving design/biostatistics/ethics, regulatory knowledge/support, participant/clinical interaction resources, and community engagement.
Dr. Sowers is Professor of Medicine, Physiology/Pharmacology, Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Internal Medicine, and Director of the Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Division. Dr. Sowers received his MD at MU. He is the Director of Thomas and Joan Burns Cardiovascular and Diabetes Research Center and holds the Thomas W. and Joan F. Burns Missouri Chair in Diabetology.
He serves on the editorial boards of Hypertension, Endocrinology, and the Journal of Hypertension, and is Chief Editor of the Journal of Cardiometabolic Syndrome. He also serves as a reviewer on several study sections for the NIH and VA. Dr. Sowers serves on the Safety and Monitoring Committee for the NIH ACCORD study as well as several VA cooperative studies.
Selected Publications
- Nistala R, Sowers JR, Whaley-Connell A. Over-nutrition contributes to tubulointerstitial fibrosis by targeting nutrient-sensing kinases: Role for the mTOR/S6K pathway. Cell Cycle. 2012;11(5).
- Demarco VG, Johnson MS, Ma L, Pulakat L, Mugerfeld I, Hayden MR, Garro M, Knight WC, Britton SL, Koch LG, Sowers JR. Overweight female rats selectively bred for low aerobic capacity exhibit increased myocardial fibrosis and diastolic dysfunction. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2012;302(8):H1667-82.
- Whaley-Connell A, Sowers JR. The kaliuretic impact of cicletanine compared to hydrochlorothiazide. J Hypertens. 2012;30(4):691-2.
- Ma L, Gul R, Habibi J, Yang M, Pulakat L, Whaley-Connell AT, Ferrario CM, Sowers JR. Nebivolol improves diastolic dysfunction and myocardial remodeling through reductions in oxidative stress in the transgenic (MRen2) rat. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2012 Jun 1;302(11):H2341-51.
- Mandavia CH, Pulakat L, Demarco V, Sowers JR. Over-nutrition and metabolic cardiomyopathy. Metabolism. 2012 Sep;61(9):1205-10.
- Whaley-Connell A, Habibi J, Nistala R, Hayden MR, Pulakat L, Sinak C, Locher B, Ferrario CM, Sowers JR. Combination of direct renin inhibition with angiotensin type 1 receptor blockade improves aldosterone but does not improve kidney injury in the transgenic Ren2 rat. Regul Pept. 2012;176(1-3):36-44.
- Siyam F, Abdullah O, Gardner M, Brietzke S, Sowers J. A case of carcinoid tumor-associated hypercalcemia. Cardiorenal Med. 2012;2(1):52-56.
- Hayden MR, Habibi J, Joginpally T, Karuparthi PR, Sowers JR. Ultrastructure study of transgenic Ren2 rat aorta - part 1: endothelium and intima. Cardiorenal Med. 2012;2(1):66-82.
- Whaley-Connell A, Sowers JR. Oxidative stress in the cardiorenal metabolic syndrome. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2012;14(4):360-5.
- Whaley-Connell A, Sowers JR. Initial choice of antihypertensive on long-term cardiovascular outcomes in CKD. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2012;7(6):884-6
- Aroor AR, Mandavia C, Ren J, Sowers JR, Pulakat L. Mitochondria and oxidative stress in the cardiorenal metabolic syndrome. Cardiorenal Med. 2012;2(2):87-109.
- Deedwania PC, Zappe DH, Egan BM, Purkayastha D, Samuel R, Sowers JR. Does response of RAS blockade on serum K+ levels influence its glycemic-mitigating response when combined with hydrochlorothiazide? J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2012 Jul;14(7):415-21.
- Zhang Y, Sowers JR, Ren J. Pathophysiological insights into cardiovascular health in metabolic syndrome. Exp Diabetes Res. 2012;2012:320534.
- Garcia-Vargas L, Addison SS, Nistala R, Kurukulasuriya D, Sowers JR. Gestational diabetes and the offspring: implications in the development of the cardiorenal metabolic syndrome in offspring. Cardiorenal Med. 2012;2(2):134-142.
- Forte V, Pandey A, Abdelmessih R, Forte G, Whaley-Connell A, Sowers JR, McFarlane SI. Obesity, Diabetes, the Cardiorenal Syndrome, and Risk for Cancer. Cardiorenal Med. 2012;2(2):143-162.
- Varagic J, Ahmad S, Voncannon JL, Moniwa N, Simington SW Jr, Brosnihan BK, Gallagher PE, Habibi J, Sowers JR, Ferrario CM. Nebivolol reduces cardiac angiotensin II, associated oxidative stress and fibrosis but not arterial pressure in salt-loaded spontaneously hypertensive rats. J Hypertens. 2012;30(9):1766-74.
- Muniyappa R, Sowers JR. Endothelial Insulin and IGF-1 Receptors: When Yes Means NO. Diabetes. 2012 Sep;61(9):2225-7.
- Manrique C, Lastra G, Habibi J, Mugerfeld I, Garro M, Sowers JR. Loss of Estrogen Receptor α Signaling Leads to Insulin Resistance and Obesity in Young and Adult Female Mice. Cardiorenal Med. 2012 Aug;2(3):200-210.
- Gul R, Demarco VG, Sowers JR, Whaley-Connell A, Pulakat L. Regulation of Overnutrition-Induced Cardiac Inflammatory Mechanisms. Cardiorenal Med. 2012 Aug;2(3):225-233.
- Aroor AR, Mandavia CH, Sowers JR. Insulin resistance and heart failure: molecular mechanisms. Heart Fail Clin. 2012;8(4):609-17.
- Demarco VG, Ford DA, Henriksen EJ, Aroor AR, Johnson MS, Habibi J, Ma L, Yang M, Albert CJ, Lally JW, Ford CA, Prasannarong M, Hayden MR, Whaley-Connell AT, Sowers JR. Obesity-Related Alterations in Cardiac Lipid Profile and Nondipping Blood Pressure Pattern during Transition to Diastolic Dysfunction in Male db/db Mice. Endocrinology. 2012 Nov 9. [Epub ahead of print]
- Mandavia CH, Aroor AR, Demarco VG, Sowers JR. Molecular and metabolic mechanisms of cardiac dysfunction in diabetes. Life Sci. 2012 Nov 9. [Epub ahead of print].
- Nistala R, Sowers JR. Hypertension: Synergy of antihypertensives in elderly patients with CKD. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2012 Nov 27. doi: 10.1038/nrneph.2012.264. [Epub ahead of print]
- Hypertension. A Companion to Braunwald’s Heart Disease. Second Edition. Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus: An Update. Sowers JR, Allcock DM, Whaley-Connell AT. Saunders, an imprint of Elevier Inc., Philadelphia, PA, 2013.