Assistant Professor
Division of Cardiology
State University of NY at Buffalo

"Temporal Progression in the Pathophysiological Alterations of Hibernating Myocardium."

Dr. Fallavollita’s research interests involve the myocardial responses and adaptations to chronic ischemia. This research includes both basic and clinical aspects of coronary flow and myocardial function. He has been particularly interested in the changes in inotropic and vasodilatory reserve and the metabolic and molecular adaptations to ischemia. Preliminary results have confirmed alterations in glucose uptake and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium regulatory gene expression, similar to that seen in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Most recently they have shown that the hibernating myocardium is characterized by apoptotic cell loss with compensatory hypertrophy. Experiments in chronically hibernating myocardium have been complemented by a series of acute experiments following a period of prolonged moderate ischemia or "short-term hibernation", and other studies in animals with "chronically stunned myocardium" prior to the development of hibernating myocardium. These studies have evaluated alterations in flow, function, oxygen consumption, glucose uptake, sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium regulatory gene expression, glucose transporter expression and troponin degradation. Future studies will extend the understanding of chronically dysfunctional myocardium by evaluating the effects of different modes of ischemia on subsequent dysfunction, the effects of recurrent episodes of ischemia, and detailed evaluation of inotropic reserve in hibernating myocardium.