2008 Kansas Life Sciences Innovations Center
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160-7336
Phone: (913) 588-7410
Fax: (913) 588-5677
whasan@kumc.edu

Research Interests

The role of neurotrophins in post-infarct cardiac neuroplasticity.
My research is primarily directed at understanding how peripheral nerves interact with their targets and other nerve populations. My studies indicate that the Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) protein is synthesized by a variety of cell types in development and maturity. After an ischemic episode in the rat heart there is increased NGF synthesis by a variety of cell types in the peri-infarct area. Sympathetic nerves are also attracted to the peri-infarct region and are closely spatially associated with the NGF-expressing cells. In culture, sympathetic nerve outgrowth towards peri-infarct tissue can be reversed by anti-NGF antibodies. These studies indicate that NGF may be responsible for sympathetic hyperinnervation and ultimately contribute to fatal cardiac arrhythmias. Understanding nerve-target interactions after myocardial ischemia is a prime focus of my studies.

With increasing time after infarct, cardiac sympathetic control is progressively altered leading to progressive cardiac damage and death. The increased sympathetic drive may occur because parasympathetic nerves, that normally inhibit sympathetic nerves, no longer are in close association with the sympathetic nerves. I have previously shown that parasympathetic nerves synthesize NGF and this may underlie sympathetic-parasympathetic axo-axonal synapses. Whether alterations in availability of NGF from parasympathetic neurons is responsible for uncoupling of these nerves is also an important ongoing research question.

Representative Publications

Hasan W, Jama A, Donohue T, Wernli G, Onyszchuk G, Al-Hafez B, Bilgen M and Smith PG. Sympathetic Hyperinnervation and Inflammatory Cell NGFSynthesis following Myocardial Infarction in Rats (In press, Brain Research).

Bilgen, M, Heddings A, Al-Hafez B, Hasan W, McIff T, Toby B, Nudo R and Brooks, W.  Microneurography of Human Median Nerve. J Magnetic Resonance Imaging (2005) 21(6):826-30.

Hasan W, Smith JH, Ting Y, and Smith PG. Estrogen alters TrkA and p75 Neurotrophin Receptor Expression within Sympathetic Neurons. J Neurobiology (2005) 65(2):192-204.

Hasan W, T Pedchenko, D Krizsan-Agbas, and Smith PG. Sympathetic Neurons Synthesize and Secrete Pro-Nerve Growth Factor Protein. J Neurobiology (2003) 57(1):38-53.

Krizsan-Agbas D, Pedchenko T, Hasan W, and Smith PG. Oestrogen regulates sympathetic neurite outgrowth by modulating brain derived neurotrophic factor synthesis and release by the rodent uterus European J Neuroscience. 2003 (10):2760-8.