Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension

Jose Romero, Ph.D.

Dr. Romero is characterizing the signal transduction pathways regulating cation transport as they impact upon vascular complications in diabetes and hypertension. His laboratory is studying the impact of insulin, RAAS, glucose and phytochemicals on the regulation of cellular cation metabolism, expression of pro-fibrotic markers, regulation of cellular volume, as well as nitric oxide metabolism. Using human blood cells (erythrocytes and lymphocytes), as ex vivo models of cation transport alterations, he has characterized novel mechanisms of insulin regulation of cellular sodium and magnesium homeostasis and is extending these studies to human microvascular endothelial cells, fibroblasts and bone cells.

1. Grant FD, Romero JR, Jeunemaitre X, Hunt SC, Hopkins PN, Hollenberg NH, Williams GH. Low-renin hypertension, altered sodium homeostasis, and an alpha-adducin polymorphism. Hypertens 2002; 39: 191-196.
2. Romero JR, Rivera A, Monari A, Ceolotto G, Semplicini A, Conlin PR.  Increased red cell sodium-lithium countertransport and increased lymphocyte cytosolic calcium are separate phenotypes in patients with essential hypertension. J Hum Hypertens 2002; May; 16(5):353-358.
3. Ferreira AM, Rivera A, Romero JR. Na⁺/Mg²⁺ Exchange is functionally coupled to the insulin receptor. J Cell Physiol 2004; 199:434-440.
4. Tfelt-Hansen J, Ferreira A, Yano S, Kanuparthi D, Romero JR, Brown EM, and Chattopadhyay N. Calcium-Sensing Receptor Activation Induces Nitric Oxide Production in H-500 Leydig Cancer Cells. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2005; Jun;288(6):E1206-13.
5. Romero JR, Rivera A, Lança V, Bicho MDP, Conlin PR, Ricupero DA. Na⁺/Ca⁺² exchanger activity modulates CTGF mRNA expression in TGF-β1- and Des-arg¹⁰-kallidin-stimulated myofibroblasts.  J Biol Chem. 2005 Apr 15; 280(15):14378-84.
6. Pang J, Ricupero D, Huang S, Fatma N, Singh DP, Romero JR and Chattopadhyay N. Differential activity of kaempferol and quercetin in attenuating tumor necrosis factor receptor family signaling in bone cells. Biochem Pharmacol. In Press

Contact Information:
(617) 732-5965
jromero@partners.org