|  Research Summary  |  Equipment & Techniques  |  Funding  |  Publications  |

Research Summary

The primary focus of our lab is to study the mechanisms responsible for lower urinary tract dysfunctions. Projects include investigation of the effects of chronic outlet obstruction on bladder structure and function, exploring the pathogenesis of detrusor overactivity, characterizing the biomechanics of bladder contractility under pathologic conditions, examining the role of gap junctions in modulating bladder smooth muscle function as well as their involvement in the pathophysiology of the overactive bladder, studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms contributing to altered bladder smooth muscle function in bladder outlet obstruction and detrusor instability.

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Equipment & Techniques

A state-of-the-art Imaging Core is available which houses a BioRad MRC 1024ES multi-photon imaging system equipped with a mode-locked Spectra-Physics Tsunami titanium-sapphire laser system. This system is also equipped with a conventional krypton-argon laser with 488, 568, and 647nm emission lines for conventional confocal imaging. Our facility also houses a Sequence Detection System (ABI Prism 7700) for real-time PCR. Animal lab facilities at VABHS are well equipped with the instrumentation necessary for acute and chronic animal studies, including sterile operating rooms, anesthesia machines, pressure transducers, flowmeters, amplifiers and recording equipment, infusion pumps, stimulators and electrodes, urethral/ureteral catheters, and a data acquisition system. Other equipment includes a Kodak 4000 Multimodal Imaging Station capable of imaging luminescence, colorimetric, multiwavelength fluorescence and radioisotopic samples, organ and tissue bath apparatus and cell culture facilities.

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Funding

1. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Research Service Merit Review (PI: Sullivan, 01/2008 - 12/2011)

Bladder smooth muscle regulation and detrusor overactivity. The major aims of this study are to determine the role of caveolae in modulating detrusor contractile responses, examine the mechanisms regulating caveolae-mediated signaling and investigate the impact of altered caveolin expression on bladder function.

2. Pfizer (PI: Sullivan, 12/2006 - 06/2008) -- "Overactive Bladder Program"

Regulation of Muscarinic Receptor by Bladder Smooth Muscle Caveolae. The main goals of this study are to identify the alterations in M2 receptor expression and function in the overactive bladder and to determine the regulatory mechanisms responsible for altered muscarinic signaling.

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Publications

To access Dr. Maryrose Sullivan's publications, please click here.

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Maryrose Sullivan
PhD

VA Boston Healthcare System
West Roxbury, MA 

Research Interests

Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunctions