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The Navedo lab team conducted a series of experiments on the effects of high glucose on cerebral blood vessels and arterial cells that control blood flow. The tests were conducted on a unique genetically modified mouse and two mouse models of diabetes that were developed at UC Davis for studies of cardiovascular health.
The researchers focused on the relationship between PKA and adenylyl cyclase (AC)—an enzyme involved in cyclic AMP (cAMP) production, a cellular messenger with a critical role in vascular cell function. Their results showed that one AC in particular—AC5—mediated cAMP and PKA activation, triggering increased calcium channel activity and blood vessel narrowing.
They also found that AC5 was essential for blood-vessel constriction during diabetes.The team now hopes to test the effects of the AC5 chain reaction in high-glucose conditions in human cells. This step could confirm it as a treatment target for reducing the vascular complications of diabetes, which can include eye, kidney, cerebral, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular disease.