Carolyn A. Ecelbarger, PhD
Associate Professor
Division of Endocrinology & Metablism
Department of Medicine Georgetown University Medical Center
232 Building D
4000 Reservoir Road, NW
Washington, DC 20057-1412
Phone: 202 687-0653
Fax: 202 687-2040
ecelbarc@georgetown.edu
Research Interests
Regulation of renal sodium and water transport proteins and blood pressure by insulin and during Type I and Type II diabetes.
Research Summary
The focus of our current research is on investigating the regulation (primarily of protein abundance) of the major renal sodium and water transporter proteins in several different rat models of diabetes or hyperinsulinemia. In the last several years, we have evaluated the pattern of sodium transporter expression in the obese Zucker rat as they progressively become more diabetic and in the Type I streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat. We are also actively studying the impact of hyperinsulinemia in non-diabetic rats on the regulation of major sodium transport proteins, such as the epithelial sodium channel, ENaC and the thiazide-sensitive NaCl cotransporter. We are correlating expression of the renal sodium transporters with functional changes such as increases in blood pressure and changes in sodium reabsorption at the renal level. Recently we have added studies examining the influence of estrogen-status on the regulation of renal salt and water transport proteins in female rats with Type I diabetes.
Representative Publications
- C. A. Bickel, J. G. Verbalis, M. A. Knepper, and C. A. Ecelbarger. Increased renal Na-K-ATPase, NCC, and ß-ENaC abundance in obese Zucker rats. Am. J. Physiol. 281(4):F639-648, 2001.
- C. A. Ecelbarger, J. M. Sands, J. J. Doran, W. Cacini, and B. K. Kishore. Expression of salt and urea transporters in rat kidney during cisplatin-induced polyuria. Kidney Int. 60(6):2274-2282, 2001.
- C. A. Bickel, M. A. Knepper, J. G. Verbalis, and C. A. Ecelbarger. Dysregulation of renal sodium and water transport proteins in diabetic, obese Zucker rats. Kidney Int. 61(6):2099-2110, 2002.
- C. A. Ecelbarger, G.-H. Kim, M. A. Knepper, J. Liu, M. Tate, P. A. Welling, and J. B. Wade. Regulation of potassium channel Kir 1.1 (ROMK) abundance in the thick ascending limb of Henle’s loop. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 12(1):10-18, 2001.
- C. A. Ecelbarger, G.-H. Kim, J. Terris, S. Masilamani, C. Mitchell, I. Reyes, J. G. Verbalis, and M. A. Knepper. Vasopressin-mediated regulation of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) abundance in rat kidney. Am. J. Physiol. 278:F46-F53, 2000.