Allan Jones, PhD
Research Interests
Mechanisms of membrane regulation and vascular smooth muscle function
Research Description
Jones' research program currently focuses on mechanisms of membrane regulation and vascular smooth muscle function leading to abnormalities associated with hyper-lipidemia as well as adaptative mechanisms during exercise training. He is studying mechanisms of adenosine transport and adenosine regulation of smooth muscle responses to acute metabolic depression in porcine coronary arteries. These studies have shown a novel mechanism by which smooth muscle generated adenosine has an autocoid function during an ischemic response. Mechanisms being pursued relate to adenosine interaction with receptors and subsequent cellular events causing relaxation; as well as adenosine interaction with a target enzyme, AMP kinase, which in turn regulates both cell metabolism and functional responses. It has been observed that exercise training may alter the sensitivity of vascular smooth muscle in the porcine coronary arteries especially in males. Gender studies have also been initiated.
These studies involve close collaboration with members of a program project team on exercise physiology, the Center for Gender Physiology and Environmental Adaptation, and the Center for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Health. Methods utilize microfluorometry of calcium probes, digital image analyses, patch clamp techniques, radio isotopes fluxes, contractile responses, phosphor-image analyses, and biochemical and immuno-measures of AMP kinase.
Professional Background
- Received PhD in physiology, University of Pennsylvania.
- Completed postdoctoral study in pharmacology, Oxford University.
- Named James O. Davis Professor in Cardiovascular Research.
- Chair of the Department of Physiology in 1983-2002.
- Former associate director of the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center,
- Elected member of societies including: The American Physiological Society, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and Council for High Blood Pressure Research.
- Past chair of the Experimental Cardiovascular Sciences Study Section of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) .
- Continuously funded researcher 28 years.
- Recognized as a national MERIT awardee of the NIH.
Selected Publications
Jones AW, Magliola L, Waters CB, Rubin LJ. Endothelin-1 activates phospholipases and channels at similar concentrations in porcine coronary arteries. Am J Physiol 1998; 274:C1583-C1591.
Magliola L, Jones AW . Calcium-tension relationship in mesenteric arteries from normotensive and December 3, 2007 36:404-414.
Jones AW, Rubin L, Magliola L. Endothlin-1 sensitivity of procine coronary arteries is reduced by exercise training and is gender dependent. J Appl Physiol 1999;87:1172-1177.
Rubin LJ, Johnson LR, D'halla AK, Magliola L, Laughlin MH, Jones AW. Selective transport of adenosine into porcine coronary smooth muscle. Am J Physiol 2000; 279:H1397-H1410.
Dhalla AK, Dodam J, Jones AW, Rubin, LJ. Characterization of an NBTI-sensitive equilibrative nucleoside transporter in vascular smooth muscle. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2001; 33:1143-1154.
Laughlin MH, Schrage W, McAllister R, Garverick HA, Jones AW . Interaction of gender and exercise training: vasomotor reactivity of porcine skeletal muscle arteries.J Appl Physiol 2001; 90:216-227.
Franke R, Yang Y, Rubin LJ, Magliolia L, Jones AW. High- fat diet alters K+-currents in porcine coronary arteries and adenosine sensitivity during metabolic inhibition. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2004; 43:495-503.
Rubin LJ, Magliola L, Feng X, Jones AW, Hale CC. Metabolic activation of AMP kinase in vascular smooth muscle. J Appl Physiol 2005; 98:296-306.
Troxel SA, Jones AW, Magliola L, Benson JS. Physiologic effect of nifedipine and tamsulosin on contractility of distal ureter. J Endourol 2006; 20: 565-568.
Yang Y, Jones AW, Thomas TR, Rubin LJ. Influence of sex, high fat diet, and exercise training on potassium currents of swine coronary smooth muscle. Am J Physiol 2007; 293: H1553-H1563.
Wang Q, Kalogeris T.J, Wang M, Jones AW, Korthuis RJ. Antecedent ethanol attenuates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion induced leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesive interactions and delayed neuronal death: role of large conductance, Ca2+activated K+ channels. Microcirculation. 2010; 17: 427-438.
Jones AW, Durante W, Korthuis RJ. Heme oxygenase-1 deficiency leads to alteration of soluble guanylate cyclase redox regulation. J Pharm Exp Ther 2010; 335: 85-91.
Gaskin FS, Kamada K, Zuidema MY, Jones AW, Rubin LJ, Korthuis RJ. Isoform-selective 5’-AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent preconditioning mechanisms to prevent post ischemic leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesive interactions. Am J Physiol 2011; 300: H1352-H1360.
Wang WZ, Jones AW, Wang M, Durante W, Korthuis RJ. Preconditioning with soluble guanylate cyclase activation prevents postischemic inflammation and reduces nitrate tolerance in heme oxygenase-1 knockout mice. Am J Physiol 2013; 305: H521-H532.
Turlo KA, Scapa J, Bagher P, Jones AW, Feil R, Korthuis RJ, Segal SS, Iruela-Arispe L. β1-integrin is essential for vasoregulation and smooth muscle survival in vivo. ATVB 2013; 33: 2325-2335.
