Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Peter R. Oeltgen,  Ph.D.

Professor

E-mail: proelt1@email.uky.edu
Telephone:   (859) 381-5939
Fax:   (859) 381-5925
Campus Address:  Ste MS-117, Medical Center, 0298

Over the past 20 years my research efforts have focused on identifying and characterizing opiate-like hibernation factors and investigating the mechanism (s) by which these unique molecules can markedly extend isolated organ survival, block or retard myocardial and cerebral ischemia and decrease the levels of cytokine mediated hepatotoxicity. These studies have been carried out in rodent, rabbit, canine, primate and porcine animal models. Our most recent studies investigating the role of opiates in myocardial and cerebral ischemia protection have utilized five highly specific delta opioids. These opioids ranging in size from 7 to 17 amino acids were originally isolated from skin secretions of the South American frog Phyllomedusa bicolor. Synthesized peptides for these studies are refered to as Deltrophins - A, B, D, Dermorphin-H, and Peptide-P. To date three patents relating to the use of these molecules in treating myocardial and cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury and treating cytokine mediated hepatotoxicity have been granted and four more have been filed and / or approved on behalf of the University of Kentucky.