Research Interest

Chronic Hypoxia and Fetal Development

Effects of chronic hypoxia on the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

Regulation of fetal adipose tissue function/leptin

 Selected Publications

1. Vargas, V.E., K.M. Kaushal, T. R. Monau, D.A. Myers and C.A. Ducsay. Long term hypoxia enhances cortisol biosynthesis in near term ovine fetal adrenal cortical cells. Reprod. Sci. 2010 (In Press)

2. Monau, T., V.E. Vargas, L. Zhang, D.A. Myers, and C.A. Ducsay. Nitric oxide inhibits ACTH induced cortisol production in the near term, long term hypoxic ovine fetal adrenal. Reprod Sci. 2010, 10:955-62

3. Ducsay,C.A., Mlynarczyk M., Kaushal K.M., Hyatt, K., Hanson K., Myers,D.A. Long term hypoxia enhances ACTH response to arginine vasopressin but not corticotropin releasing hormone in the near term ovine fetus. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2009 297, R892-9.

4. Root, B., Abrassart, J., Myers, D.A., Monau, T., and Ducsay, C.A. Expression and distribution of glucocorticoid receptors in the ovine fetal adrenal cortex: Effect of long term hypoxia. Reprod Sci 2008, 15-517-28.

5. Xue, Q., C.A. Ducsay, L.D. Longo and L. Zhang. Effect of long term high altitude hypoxia on fetal pulmonary vascular contractility. J Appl Physiol. 2008 104(6):1786-9, 2008

6. Myers,D.A., Hanson K., Mlynarczyk M., Kaushal K.M. and Ducsay C.A. Long term hypoxia modulates expression of key genes regulating white adipose tissue function in the late gestation ovine fetus. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2008 Apr;294(4):R1312-8)

7. Ducsay, C.A., Hyatt, K., Mlynarczyk, M., Root, B.K., Kaushal, K.M. and Myers, D.A. Long term hypoxia modulates expression of key genes regulating adrenomedullary function in the late gestation ovine fetus. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2007 Nov;293(5):R1997-2005.

8. Ducsay CA, K Hyatt, M Mlynarczyk, KM Kaushal and DA Myers. Long term hypoxia increases leptin receptors and plasma leptin concentrations in the late gestation ovine fetus. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2006 Nov;291(5):R1406-13.

9. Myers D, I. Bird, M. Mlynarczyk and C.A. Ducsay. Long term hypoxia represses the expression of key genes regulating cortisol biosynthesis in the near term ovine fetus. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2005 Dec;289(6):R1707-14.

10. Bae S, RD Gilbert, CA Ducsay and L Zhang. Prenatal cocaine exposure increases heart susceptibility to ischaemia-reperfusion injury in adult male but not female rats. J Physiol. 2005 565(Pt 1):149-58.

11. Myers D, P Bell, M Mlynarczyk and CA Ducsay. Effects of long term hypoxia on Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) expression and processing in the ovine fetus. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol  2005 288(5):R1178-84.