Raymond Russell, MD, PhD Associate Professor of Medicine Cardiovascular Medicine Co-Director, Cardiovascular Fellowship Program

B.A. Rice University, 1984; MD, PhD, University of Texas - Houston, 1991; Residency Training in Internal Medicine - Yale New Haven Hospital, 1995; Cardiology Fellowship Training - Yale School of Medicine, 2000; Joined Yale Faculty, 2000

Function and metabolism in the heart

Work in my lab involves characterization of the relationship between function and metabolism in the heart. Specifically, I am interested in changes in cardiac metabolism in the setting of disease states, especially heart failure, and how these metabolic changes may have adaptive or maladaptive functional consequences. My lab has specifically focused on the role of uncoupling proteins, mitochondrial membrane proteins that regulate the transmitochondrial membrane potential, in decreasing the production of reactive oxygen species. This effect is important in disease states such as myocardial ischemia/reperfusion

 and congestive heart failure in which reactive oxygen species generation contributes significantly to myocyte injury and left ventricular dysfunction. In addition, uncoupling proteins can protect against exogenous oxidant stress and we are focusing on the importance of uncoupling proteins in decreasing the cardiotoxicity of the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin. My lab is also involved in determining the mechanisms regulating uncoupling protein expression and how uncoupling proteins may modulate oxidant stress signaling.

Taegtmeyer H, Russell RR. Glutamate metabolism in rabbit heart: Augmentation by ischemia and inhibition with acetoacetate. J Appl Cardiol, 2: 231-249, 1987. 



Taegtmeyer H, Russell RR. Biochemistry of the heart. In: Current Concepts in Cardiovascular Physiology (OB Garfein, ed.), New York, Academic Press, 1-71, 1990.

Russell RR, Taegtmeyer H. Changes in citric acid cycle flux and anaplerosis antedate the functional decline in isolated rat hearts utilizing acetoacetate. J Clin Invest, 87: 384-390, 1991. 



Russell RR, Taegtmeyer H. Pyruvate carboxylation prevents the decline in contractile function of rat hearts oxidizing acetoacetate. Am J Physiol, 261: H1756-H1762, 1991. 



Russell RR, Taegtmeyer H. Coenzyme A sequestration in rat hearts oxidizing ketone bodies. J Clin Invest, 89: 968-973, 1992. 

Russell RR, Nguyen VTB, Mrus JM, Taegtmeyer H. Fasting and lactate unmask insulin responsiveness in the isolated working rat heart. Am J Physiol, 263: E556-E561, 1992. 



Russell RR, Mrus JM, Mommessin JI, Taegtmeyer H. Compartmentation of hexokinase in rat heart: A critical factor for tracer kinetic analysis of myocardial glucose metabolism. J Clin Invest, 90: 1972-1977, 1992. 



Russell RR, Mrus JM, Mommessin JI, Taegtmeyer H. Propionyl-L-carnitine mediated improvement in contractile function for rat hearts oxidizing acetoacetate. Am J Physiol, 268: H441-H447, 1995. 



Young, LH, Renfu Y, Russell R, Hu X, Caplan M, Ren J, Shulman GI, Sinusas AJ. Low flow ischemia leads to translocation of canine heart GLUT-4 and GLUT-1 glucose transporters to the sarcolemma in vivo. Circulation, 95: 415-422, 1997. 



Russell RR, Cline GW, Guthrie PH, Goodwin GW, Shulman GI, Taegtmeyer H. Regulation of exogenous and endogenous glucose metabolism by insulin and acetoacetate in the isolated working rat heart: A three tracer study of glycolysis, glycogen turnover and glucose oxidation. J Clin Invest, 100: 2892-2899, 1997. 



Laurent D, Petersen KF, Russell RR, Cline GW, Shulman GI. Effect of epinephrine on muscle glycogenolysis and insulin-stimulated muscle glycogen synthesis in humans. Am J Physiol, 274: E130-E138, 1998. 



Russell RR, Renfu Y, Caplan MJ, Hu X, Ren J, Shulman GI, Sinusas AJ, Young LH. Additive effects of hyperinsulinemia and ischemia on myocardial GLUT1 and GLUT4 translocation in vivo. Circulation, 98: 2180-2186, 1998. 



Russell RR, Bergeron R, Shulman GI, Young LH. Translocation of myocardial GLUT4 and increased glucose uptake through activation of AMP-activated protein kinase by AICAR. Am J Physiol, 277: H643-H649, 1999. 



Bergeron R, Russell RR, Young L, Ren J-M, Marcucci M, Lee A, Shulman G. Effect of AMPK activation on muscle glucose metabolism in conscious rats. Am J Physiol, 276: E938-E944, 1999. 



Young, LH, Russell RR, Yin R, Caplan M, Ren J, Bergeron R, Shulman GI, Sinusas AJ. Regulation of myocardial glucose uptake and transport during ischemia and energetic stress. Am J Cardiol, 83: 25H-30H, 1999. 



Young LH, Coven DL, Russell RR. Cellular and molecular regulation of cardiac glucose transport. J Nucl Cardiol, 7: 267-276, 2000. 



Taegtmeyer H, Russell RR. Essential fuels for the heart and mechanical restitution. In: Myocardial Viability: A Clinical and Scientific Treatise (V Dilsizian, ed.), Armonk, Futura Publishing Co., 91-104, 2000. 



Bergeron R, Previs SF, Cline GW, Perret P, Russell RR, Young LH, Shulman GI.  Effect of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxyamide-1-β-D-ribofuranoside infusion on in vivo glucose and lipid metabolism in lean and obese Zucker rats.   Diabetes, 50:  1076-1082, 2001

Russell RR, Rife F, Chyun D, Song S, Sherwin R, Tamborlane WV, Lee FA, Pfifer M, Wackers FJT, Young LH.  Cardiac responses to insulin induced hypoglycemia in nondiabetic and intensively-treated diabetic patients.  Am J Physiol, 281:  E1029-E1036, 2001

Young LH, Russell RR, Chyun D, Ramahi T.  Heart Failure and cardiac dysfunction in diabetes.  In: Contemporary Cardiology: Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease (MT Johnstone and A Veves eds.), Totowa, Humana Press, 281-297, 2001.

Russell RR. The role of AMP-activated protein kinase in fuel selection by the stressed heart. Curr Hyperten Rep 5: 459-465, 2003

Goldberg PA, Siegel MD, Russell RR, Sherwin RS, Halickman JI, Cooper DA, Dziura JD, Inzucchi SE. Experience with the Continuous Glucose Monitoring System in a medical intensive care unit. Diabetes Tech Ther 6: 339-347, 2004.

Li J, Hu X, Selvakumar P, Russell RR, Cushman S, Holman GD, Young LH. Role of the nitric oxide pathway in AMPK-mediated glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation in heart muscle. Am J Physiol 287: E834-E841, 2004

Russell RR, Li J, Coven DL, Pypaert M, Zechner C, Palmeri M, Giordano F, Mu J, Birnbaum MJ, and Young LH. AMP-activated protein kinase mediates ischemic glucose uptake and prevents post-ischemic cardiac dysfunction, apoptosis and injury. J Clin Invest 114: 495-503, 2004.

Weissman G, Scandrett RM, Howes CJ, Russell RR. Coronary vasospasm during an adenosine stress test. J Nucl Cardiol 11: 747-750, 2004.

Russell R, Taegtmeyer H. Anaplerosis. In: Encylopedia of Biological Chemistry (W Lennarz and MD Lane ed.), New York: Academic Press, 2004, p. 105-110.

Baron S, Li J, Russell RR, Neumann D, Miller EJ, Tuerk R, Walliman T, Hurley R, Witters LA, Young LH. Dual Mechanisms regulating AMPK kinase action in the ischemic heart. Circ Res 96: 337-345, 2005.

Young LH, Li J, Baron SJ, Russell RR. AMP-Activated protein kinase: A key stress signaling pathway in the heart. Trends Cardiovasc Med 15:110-118, 2005.

Li J, Miller EJ, Ninomiya-Tsuji J, Russell RR, Young LH. AMP-activated protein kinase activates p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase by increasing recruitment of p38 MAPK to TAB1 in the ischemic heart. Circ Res 97:872-879, 2005.

Bax JJ, Abbott BG, Berman DS, Garcia EV, Gropler RS, Hendel RC, Jain D, Mieres JH, Russell RR, Shaw LJ, Udelson JE, Wackers FJT. Highlights of the 2005 Scientific Sessions of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology: Seattle, Washington, September 29-October 2, 2005. J Am Coll Cardiol 47:1478-1484, 2006.

Russell RR, Zaret BL. Nuclear Cardiology: Present and Future. Curr Prob Cardiol 31: 551-630, 2006.

Russell RR. Stress signaling in the heart by AMP-activated protein kinase. Curr Hyperten Rep 8:446-450, 2006.

Russell RR, Abbott, BG, Arrighi JA, Bengel FM, Cohen MC, Garcia EV, Hendel RC, Holly TA, Mieres JH, Shaw LJ, et al. Highlights of the 2007 Scientific Sessions of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology: San Diego, California, September 6 9, 2007. J Am Coll Cardiol 50:2336-2343, 2007.

Laskowski KR, Russell RR. Uncoupling proteins in heart failure. Curr Heart Failure Rep. In press.

Guzman CF, Bugger H, Zechner C, Palmeri M, Russell RR.  Uncoupling proteins 2 and 3 are downregulated in the failing heart: Implications for energy metabolism and oxidant stress injury.  In preparation.

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Last modified:Wednesday, 09-Apr-2008 11:58:38 EDT (PL).