ilya-blokhin@uiowa.edu
Mentor: Steven Lentz, M.D./Ph.D.
Lab Room: 3160 ML
Lab Phone: 319-335-8857

Mechanisms of thrombosis in obesity

Cardiovascular diseases are major causes of mortality and morbidity in developed countries. Thrombosis followed by ischemic injury is one of the most critical steps in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular pathology. The worldwide prevalence of obesity is steadily increasing, and many clinical studies have shown a high incidence of thrombotic events among obese populations, but the mechanisms of obesity-mediated arterial and venous thrombosis remain to be elucidated. Besides antiplatelet drugs, there are few effective therapeutic approaches to prevent and treat thrombosis in patients with obesity. In Lentz lab, we investigate potential mechanisms of thrombosis in obesity such as alterations of gene expression profiles (as a result of changed PPARγ and NFkB transcriptional activity), oxidative stress, and imbalance between protective and harmful adipokines. We test these mechanisms using global and tissue-specific transgenic and knockout murine models as well as wide spectrum of molecular and genetic approaches.

Publications:

Jin H, Gebska MA, Blokhin IO, Wilson KM, Ketsawatsomkron P, Chauhan AK, Keen HL, Sigmund CD, Lentz SR. Endothelial PPAR-γ Protects Against Vascular Thrombosis by Downregulating P-Selectin Expression. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2015 Feb 12. pii: ATVBAHA.115.305378. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 25675995.

Dayal S, Blokhin IO, Erger RA, Jensen M, Arning E, Stevens JW, Bottiglieri T, Faraci FM, Lentz SR. Protective vascular and cardiac effects of inducible nitric oxide synthase in mice with hyperhomocysteinemia. PLoS One. 2014 Sep 16;9(9):e107734. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107734. eCollection 2014. PMID:25226386

Blokhin IO, Lentz SR. Mechanisms of thrombosis in obesity. Curr Opin Hematol. 2013 Jun 28. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 23817170.

Collier DM, Peterson ZJ, Blokhin IO, Benson CJ, Snyder PM. Identification of Extracellular Domain Residues Required for Epithelial Na+ Channel Activation by Acidic pH. J Biol Chem. 2012 Nov 30;287(49):40907-14. doi:10.1074/jbc.M112.417519. Epub 2012 Oct 11. PubMed PMID: 23060445; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3510795.

Abstracts:

Blokhin IO, Wilson KM, Jin H, Ramachandran S, Devor EJ, McCray PB Jr., Leslie KK, Lentz SR (2014). “The role of microRNA-148a in obesity-induced thrombosis.” University of Iowa Internal Medicine Research Day, Iowa City, IA.

Blokhin IO, Ramachandran S, Devor EJ, Leslie KK, Lentz SR (2014). “Computational identification of prothrombotic transcriptome in obesity.” University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine Health Sciences Research Week, Iowa City, IA.

Blokhin IO Ramachandran S, Devor EJ, Gu SX, Niki M, McCray PB Jr., Leslie KK, Lentz SR (2014). “Global downregulation of exosomal microRNA in mice with diet-induced obesity.” ASCI/AAP Joint Meeting, Chicago, IL.

Blokhin IO, Devor EJ, Ramachandran S, Jin H, Gebska M A, Lentz SR (2013). “microRNA-dependent mechanisms of thrombosis in obesity.” University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine Health Sciences Research Week, Iowa City, IA

Dayal S, Erger RA, Jensen M, Blokhin IO, Arning E, Bottiglieri T, Faraci FM, Lentz SR. (2013). "Vascular and cardiac effects of inducible nitric oxide synthase in hyperhomocysteinemic mice." Proceedings of the Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology Scientific Sessions, Orlando, FL, p. 46.

Blokhin IO, Ramachandran S, Devor EJ, McCray PB Jr., Leslie KK, Lentz SR (2013). “Global downregulation of exosomal microRNA in mice with diet-induced obesity.” University of Iowa Cardiovascular Research Center International Symposium, Iowa City, IA, p. 34.