Hong Lu, M.D., Ph.D. | Saha Cardiovascular Research Center

Hong Lu, M.D., Ph.D.

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hlu4@email.uky.edu
859-323-4639
741 South Limestone Street, Biomedical/Biological Sciences Research Building, Rm: B249, Lexington, KY 40536-0509
Hong Lu CV_June 2015.doc

Position(s):

Associate Professor

Affiliation(s):

Internal Medicine

Cardiovascular Research Center

Physiology

Other Affiliation(s):

CVRC - Core Faculty

Nutritional Sciences Graduate Faculty

Bio / Education:

09/1988-07/1993: MD, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, China 04/2000-03/2003: PhD, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan 04/2003-09/2007: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Kentucky Daugherty Lab, Lexington, KY

Research Description:

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the nation and industrialized nations, accounting for nearly 50% of all deaths. Particularly, atherosclerosis is associated with significantly accelerated rates of cardiovascular complications. With the recognition of this evidence, understanding the mechanisms leading to these vascular diseases has become a focus of my research work. One promising medical therapy of atherosclerosis is the pharmacological inhibition of the renin angiotensin system. I am particularly interested in characterizing the renin angiotensin system by which mechanisms this system initiates and promotes the development of atherosclerosis in a hypercholesterolemic mouse model. While my research work has primarily focused on understanding the renin angiotensin system related mechanisms of atherosclerosis, I am also interested in the effects of the renin angiotensin system on aneurysm, which is the 13th leading cause of death in the United States. Understanding these mechanisms is of considerable interest as many members of the renin angiotensin system can be pharmacologically inhibited by agents already clinically used to treat hypertension in clinical patients. Since these drugs are currently being further investigated in large randomized trials for their efficacy to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases, my research might point to molecular mechanisms by which these agents prevent the development of atherosclerosis and aneurysms.

Selected Publications:

1. Lu H, Boustany-Kari CM, Daugherty A, Cassis LA. AngII increases adipose angiotensinogen expression. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism 2007; 292: E1280-1287. 2. Lu H, Rateri DL, Feldman DL, Charnigo RJ, Fukamizu A, Ishida J, Oesterling EG, Cassis LA, Daugherty A. Renin inhibition reduces hypercholesterolemia-induced atherosclerosis. Journal of Clinical Investigation 2008; 118: 984-993. 3. Lu H, Cassis LA, Daugherty A. The role of the renin-angiotensin system in vascular aneurysm formation. Current Hypertension Reports 2008; 10: 99 - 106. 4. Wu CQ, Lu H, Cassis LA, Daugherty A. Molecular and pathophysiological features of angiotensinogen: a mini review. North America Journal of Medical Sciences 2011; 4: 196-203. 5. Lu H, Balakrishnan A, Howatt DA, Charnigo RJ, Liau G, Cassis LA, Daugherty A. Comparative effects of different modes of renin angiotensin system inhibition on hypercholesterolemia-induced atherosclerosis. British Journal of Pharmacology 2012; 165: 2000-2008. 6. Lu H, Rateri DL, Bruemmer D, Cassis LA, Daugherty A. Involvement of the renin-angiotensin system in abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms. Clin Sci 2012; 123: 531-543. 7. Lu H, Rateri DL, Bruemmer D, Cassis LA, Daugherty A. Novel mechanisms of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Curr Atheroscler Rep 2012; 14(5): 402-412. 8. Lu H, Wu CQ, Howatt DA, Balakrishnan A, Charnigo RJ, Cassis LA, Daugherty A. Differential effects of dietary sodium intake on blood pressure and atherosclerosis. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2013; 24: 49-53. 9. Chen X, Lu H, Zhao M, Tashiro K, Cassis LA, Daugherty A. Contributions of leukocyte angiotensin-converting enzyme to development of atherosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 2013; 33: 2075-2080. 10. Chen X, Lu H, Rateri DL, Cassis LA, Daugherty A. Conundrum of angiotensin II and TGF-β interactions in aortic aneurysms. Current Opinion in Pharmacology 2013; 13: 180-185.

PubMed Publications:

Huang, X.F.;Zhang, S.Z.;You, Y.Y.;Zhang, N.;Lu, H.;Daugherty, A.;Xie, X.J. "Ginkgo biloba extracts prevent aortic rupture in angiotensin II-infused hypercholesterolemic mice." Acta pharmacologica Sinica (2018): [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Ren, L.;Sun, Y.;Lu, H.;Ye, D.;Han, L.;Wang, N.;Daugherty, A.;Li, F.;Wang, M.;Su, F.;Tao, W.;Sun, J.;Zelcer, N.;Mullick, A.E.;Danser, A.H.J.;Jiang, Y.;He, Y.;Ruan, X.;Lu, X. "(Pro)renin Receptor Inhibition Reprograms Hepatic Lipid Metabolism and Protects Mice From Diet-Induced Obesity and Hepatosteatosis." Circulation research 122, 5 (2018): 730-741. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Wu, C.H.;Daugherty, A.;Lu, H. "Multifaceted functions of macrophages in atherosclerosis." Current opinion in lipidology 29, 3 (2018): 275-276. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Daugherty, A.;Lu, H.S.;Hegele, R.A.;Mackman, N.;Rader, D.J.;Schmidt, A.M.;Weber, C. "Response by Daugherty et al to Letter Regarding Article, "Consideration of Sex Differences in Design and Reporting of Experimental Arterial Pathology Studies: A Statement From the <i>Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology</i> Council"." Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 38, 6 (2018): e101-e102. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Robinet, P.;Milewicz, D.M.;Cassis, L.A.;Leeper, N.J.;Lu, H.S.;Smith, J.D. "Consideration of Sex Differences in Design and Reporting of Experimental Arterial Pathology Studies-Statement From ATVB Council." Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 38, 2 (2018): 292-303. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Qing, H.;Jones, K.L.;Heywood, E.B.;Lu, H.;Daugherty, A.;Bruemmer, D. "Deletion of the NR4A nuclear receptor NOR1 in hematopoietic stem cells reduces inflammation but not abdominal aortic aneurysm formation." BMC cardiovascular disorders 17, 1 (2017): 271. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Ye, F.;Wang, J.A.;Daugherty, A.;Lu, H. "Macrophage-mediated mechanisms in atherosclerosis: still tangled." Current opinion in lipidology 28, 3 (2017): 286-287. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Lu, H.;Daugherty, A. "Aortic Aneurysms." Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 37, 6 (2017): e59-e65. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Wang, C.;Chen, H.;Zhu, W.;Xu, Y.;Liu, M.;Zhu, L.;Yang, F.;Zhang, L.;Liu, X.;Zhong, Z.;Zhao, J.;Jiang, J.;Xiang, M.;Yu, H.;Hu, X.;Lu, H.;Wang, J. "Nicotine Accelerates Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice by Activating α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor on Mast Cells." Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 37, 1 (2017): 53-65. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Wu, C.;Daugherty, A.;Lu, H. "A Color Segmentation-Based Method to Quantify Atherosclerotic Lesion Compositions with Immunostaining." Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) 1614, (2017): 21-30. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Lu, H.;Howatt, D.A.;Balakrishnan, A.;Graham, M.J.;Mullick, A.E.;Daugherty, A. "Hypercholesterolemia Induced by a PCSK9 Gain-of-Function Mutation Augments Angiotensin II-Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in C57BL/6 Mice-Brief Report." Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 36, 9 (2016): 1753-7. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Lu, H.;Sheppard, M.;Daugherty, A. "Calcification in atherosclerotic lesions." Current opinion in lipidology 27, 5 (2016): 543-4. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Chen, X.;Howatt, D.A.;Balakrishnan, A.;Moorleghen, J.J.;Wu, C.;Cassis, L.A.;Daugherty, A.;Lu, H. "Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme in Smooth Muscle Cells Promotes Atherosclerosis-Brief Report." Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 36, 6 (2016): 1085-9. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Lu, H.;Cassis, L.A.;Kooi, C.W.;Daugherty, A. "Structure and functions of angiotensinogen." Hypertension research : official journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension 39, 7 (2016): 492-500. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Lu, H.;Wu, C.;Howatt, D.A.;Balakrishnan, A.;Moorleghen, J.J.;Chen, X.;Zhao, M.;Graham, M.J.;Mullick, A.E.;Crooke, R.M.;Feldman, D.L.;Cassis, L.A.;Vander Kooi, C.W.;Daugherty, A. "Angiotensinogen Exerts Effects Independent of Angiotensin II." Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 36, 2 (2016): 256-65. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]
Sheppard, M.B.;Daugherty, A.;Lu, H. "Insights into ascending aortic aneurysm pathogenesis using in vivo and ex vivo imaging systems in angiotensin II-infused mice." Journal of thoracic disease 8, 8 (2016): E822-4. [PubMed Link] | [ Full text ]