Inflammatory and Diarrheal Diseases
Basilia Zingarelli, MD, PhD
Professor
Department of Pediatrics; Division of Critical Care Medicine
Description of Research
Dr. Zingarelli’s research interest is focused on the pathophysiologic mechanisms of intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury and inflammatory bowel disease. She has found that during the inflammatory process the nuclear enzyme poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is activated as a consequence of DNA damage. This enzyme, then, participates in the regulation of transcription by functioning as an enhancing factor of the activation of the transcription factors NF-κB and AP-1 and as a repressing factor of the heat shock response. Recently, Zingarelli has identified putative anti-inflammatory transcription pathways, which can counteract the inflammatory response through direct mechanisms of transrepression. Specifically, she is studying the role of the nuclear receptors peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARγ, PPARα and PPARδ), and liver X receptor (LXR) in inflammatory bowel disease. In this regard, Dr. Zingarelli is also testing the hypothesis that PPARγ ligands, such as the prostaglandin 15d-PGJ2 and the thiazolidinediones may exert potent anti-inflammatory effects.
Collaborations and Core Use
Dr. Zingarelli is collaborates with Drs. Aronow and Lentsch to study the role of peroxisome proliferator activated receptors in sepsis, trauma, liver reperfusion injury and inflammatory bowel disease. Anticipated use of Cores: Integrative Morphology and Gene and Protein Expression Cores.
