Grace L. Guo, PhD, Assistant Professor

 

MB, Western China University of Medical Sciences

PhD, University of Kansas Medical Center

Post-doc: NCI, NIH

Research Interests

Research Interests: endobiotic and xenobiotic nuclear receptors in human health

There are three research areas in our laboratory:

• Tissue specific regulation of bile acid homeostasis
• FXR and intestine function
• Molecular mechanism for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) disposition

Bile acids are an important component in human physiology and pathology in both the Eastern and Western world since ancient time.  These molecules are derived from cholesterol in the liver and synthesizing bile acids is the most important mechanism to remove extra cholesterol in our body.  In addtion, bile acids are essential for intestinal absorption of lipids and lipid-soluble vitamins.  For the last decades, bile acids are discovered as signaling molecules and elucidating the function of FXR as an essential component in bile acid homeostasis opens a new page for bile acid research. 

PBDEs are flame retardant and their concentration in the environment and in humans increases exponentially.  PBDE exposure results in toxicity in the nervous system, liver, and reproductive organs.  To elucidate the molecular mechanism for PBDE toxicity helps to prevent and treat abnormalities due to PBDE exposure. 

Current lab members:

• Noriko Esterly (Research Assistant)
• Bo Kong, PhD (Post-doc)
• Erik Pacyniak (Graduate Student)
• Ann Thomas (Graduate Student)
• Guodong Li (Visiting Student)
• Jie Lu (Visiting Scholar)

Selected Publications:

Maran RRM, Thomas A, Roth M, Sheng Z, Esterly N, Pinson D, Gao X, Zhang Y, Ganapathy V, Gonzalez FJ, Guo GL. FXR-deficiency in mice leads to increased intestinal epithelial cell proliferation and tumor development. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2009, 328(2):469-77.

Kong B, Luyendyk JP, Tawfik O, Guo GL. FXR-deficiency induces non-alhocolic steatohepatitis in LDLr-knockout mie fed a high-fat diet. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2009, 328(1):116-22.

Tanaka Y, Alexksunes LM, Yeager RL, Gyamfi MA, Esterly N, Guo GL, Klaassen CD. Nrf-2 Inhibits lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in mice fed a hhigh-fat diet. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2008, 325(2):655-64.

Kim I, Ahn SH, Inagaki T, Choi M, Ito S, Guo GL, Kliewer SA, Gonzalez FL. Differential regulation of bile acid homeostasis by the farnesoid x receptor in liver and intesteins. J Lipid Res, 2007, 48(12):2664-72.

Ma X, Shah YM, Guo GL, Ting Wang, Krausz KW, Idle JR, and Gonzalez FJ. Rifaximin is a gut-specific human pregnane X receptor activator. J Pharmacol Exp Ther, 2007,322(1):391-8.

Maher J, Dieter MZ, Aleksunes LM, Slitt AL, Guo G, Tanaka Y, Scheffer GL, Chan JY, Manautou JE, Dalton TP, Yamamoto M, and Klaassen, CD Oxidative and Electrophilic Stress induces Mrp Transporters via the Nrf2 Transcriptional Pathway. Hepatology, 2007, 46(5):1597-610.

Pacyniak E, Cheng X, Cunningham M, Crofton K, Klaassen CD, Guo, GL. The flame retardants, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are pregnane X receptor (PXR) activators.  Toxicol Sci. 2007, 97(1):94-102.

Contact Information:

Grace Guo , Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics
The University of Kansas Medical Center
4095 KLSIC, MS 1018
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, Kansas 66160
Phone: (913) 588-0481
Fax: (913) 588-7501
E-Mail: lguo@kumc.edu

 

Updated 8/11/09