Physiology

FRANCISCO H. ANDRADE, Ph.D. Associate Professor Ph.D. University of Texas Health Science Center, 1994 Office: MS-581 Medical Center 0298 Tel: (859) 323-6576 Lab: MS-539, MS-517, Tel: 323-3861, 323-8759 E-mail: paco.andrade@uky.edu Curriculum Vita (pdf)

Research focus: Craniofacial and respiratory muscles
Skeletal muscles are very adaptable tissues: shifts in activity patterns activate molecular pathways that induce predictable changes in muscle size and metabolic properties. However, some muscles and motor systems deviate from this stereotype. These variants of the skeletal muscle “mold” also react differently to neuromuscular diseases, mitochondrial myopathies, and some muscular dystrophies. We study respiratory, extraocular and other craniofacial muscles, all constantly active motor systems that also have peculiar phenotypes. Ourexperimental approach uses multiple models and techniques to analyze how these muscles and their corresponding motor neurons communicate, how their gene expression and function change in response to activity, stressors, and age.

Recent publications:

Moncman, C.L., Andrade, F.H. Nonmuscle myosin IIB, a sarcomeric component in the extraocular muscles. Exp. Cell Res., 316:1958-65, 2010.

Garcia-Cazarin, M.L., Fisher, T.M., Andrade, F.H. Insulin and contractile activity regulate glucose uptake in rat extraocular muscles. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 51:6364-8, 2010.

Gamboa, J.L., Garcia-Cazarin, M.L., Andrade, F.H. Chronic hypoxia increases insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in mouse skeletal muscle. Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol., 300:R85-91, 2011.

McMullen, C., Butterfield, T., Dietrich, M., Andreatta, R., Andrade, F., Fry, L., Stemple, J. Chronic stimulation-induced changes in the rodent thyroarytenoid muscle. J. Speech Lang. Hear. Res., 54:845-53, 2011.

Moncman, C.L., Andrade, M.E., Andrade, F.H. Postnatal changes in the developing rat extraocular muscles.  Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 52:3962-9, 2011.

Garcia-Cazarin, M.L., Gamboa, J.L., Andrade, F.H. Diaphragm mitochondria have lower intrinsic respiratory rates than mitochondria in limb muscles. Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol., 300:R1311-5, 2011.

Garcia-Cazarin, M.L., Snider, N.N., Andrade, F.H. Mitochondrial isolation from skeletal muscle. J. Vis. Exp., doi: 10.3791/2452, 2011.

Other Publications