Seminar Series – Jessica Filosa, Ph.D.

Dr. Jessica Filosa is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology at Augusta University in Georgia.

Research Summary:
Hypertension is an important contributor of cognitive decline but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Although much focus has been placed on the effect of hypertension on vascular function, less is understood of its effects on non-vascular cells. The talk will be focused on the signaling mechanisms underlying "vessel-to-astrocyte-to-neuron communication" using an advanced in vitro brain slice model where parenchymal arterioles (PA) are pressurized/perfused and thus, developed myogenic tone. Results will demonstrate that intravascular pressure changes signal astrocyte and that chronic hypertension (28-day angiotensin II-infusion) significantly increases PA resting tone and pressure-evoked astrocyte Ca2+ events within microdomains. Astrocyte Ca2+ increases were associated with increased activity and expression of transient potential receptor vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channels. Collectively, the data presented will demonstrate that chronic hypertension increases PA tone and Ca2+ events within astrocytes MD, potential early events in vessel-to-astrocyte-to-neuron dysregulation.