Douglas K. Bowles, PhD

Email: BowlesD@missouri.edu

Research Interests: Exercise physiology

Teaching: Cell Biology

Dr. Bowles focuses his research on the effects of exercise training on the heart and coronary arteries. The primary goal is to understand the cellular mechanisms for functional changes observed in the heart after endurance training. Hopefully, understanding these changes at the cellular level will allow for better use of exercise in preventing cardiovascular disease.

Currently, research efforts in his lab are focused on understanding the role of ion channels, specifically K+ and Ca2+ channels and their role in regulating coronary artery function. We have recently discovered that exercise training increases the contribution of K+ channels to regulation of arterial tone. In addition, exercise training increases activity of L-type Ca2+ channels in coronary arterial smooth muscle.

We are currently exploring the mechanisms and consequences of these changes using electrophysiology, cannulated microvessel preparations, high speed confocal imaging, fluorescence imaging, and biochemical techniques.

Publications:
Bowles, D.K., M.H. Laughlin and M. Sturek. Exercise training increases L-type calcium current density in coronary smooth muscle. Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiol. 44):H2159-H2169, 1998.

Bowles, DK. Adaptation of ion channels in the microcirculation to exercise training. Microcirc 7:25-40, 2000.

Wamhoff, B, NJ Dietz, DK Bowles and M Sturek. Exercise training attenuates coronary smooth muscle phenotypic modulation and nuclear Ca2+ signaling. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 283: H2397-H2410, 2002.

Bowles, D.K., C.L. Heaps, J. Turk, K.K. Maddali and E. M. Price. Hypercholesterolemia inhibits L-type calcium current in coronary macro, not microcirculation. J. Appl. Physiol. 96: 2240-2248, 2004.

Bowles, D.K., V.K. Ganjam, K.K. Maddali, L.J. Rubin, D.L. Tharp, J.R. Turk and C.L. Heaps. Endogenous testosterone increases L-type Ca2+ channel expression in porcine coronary smooth muscle. Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiol). 287: H2091-H2098, 2004.

Heaps, C.L., D.L. Tharp and D.K. Bowles. Hypercholesterolemia abolishes voltage-dependent K+ channel contribution to adenosine-mediated relaxation in porcine coronary arterioles. Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiol). In press: 10.1152/ajpheart.00157.2004.