Area of Study / Keywords
About
Dr. Ferrante Gragasin is currently appointed as Clinical Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry.
Research
Life expectancy in Canada is increasing, and an inevitable consequence is that the elderly constitute a greater proportion of patients presenting for surgery. Elderly patients given anesthetics are under constant threat of severe and often refractory hypotension. Due to several factors, even short-lived hypotension can be harmful in elderly patients, resulting in delayed postsurgical recovery, and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Yet, despite its clinical importance, the mechanisms by which anesthetic agents, namely propofol, cause exaggerated hypotension in the elderly remain obscure.
The objective of our work is to identify the mechanisms by which anesthetic agents cause hypotension in models of normal and accelerated aging (in which adult offspring that were born to mothers exposed to stressors - i.e. iron deficiency anemia - during pregnancy have enhanced age-related decline in cardiovascular function). In addition, we are testing treatment interventions to prevent or reverse propofol-induced hypotension in models of normal and accelerated aging. My laboratory utilizes a variety of techniques to investigate age-related changes to vascular physiology. These techniques include in vitro methods, such as cell culture and molecular techniques; ex vivo methods, such as wire myography and whole organ tissue perfusion; and in vivo methods, to assess real-time hemodynamic changes, integrating intact physiological systems in whole animal models. Therefore, we focus on multiple levels of integration in our experimental methodology. In addition, my laboratory closely collaborates with those of other members in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine as well as others, including the Department of Surgery and the Division of Critical Care. These collaborations offer ample opportunities for translational research, thereby broadening the scope of investigation into the realm of clinical studies.
Funding Sources
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
- University Hospital Foundation