Research Projects

Hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, with cardiac hypertrophy being the primary component of cardiac remodeling. This adaptive response to sustained hemodynamic load can lead to heart failure in the long run. To address this issue, a project aims to target autophagy in the treatment of hypertrophy using compounds isolated from an indigenous plant, Desmodium gangeticum. This plant is an important Ayurvedic preparation for cardiovascular disorders and has been shown to have efficacy in treating cardiomyoblast hypertrophy. The project's major objectives include isolating compounds from D. gangeticum using bioassay-guided fractionation, exploring their efficacy in modulating autophagy in an in vitro model, investigating the effects of these compounds on cardiac hypertrophy in vitro, and examining their effects on cardiac hypertrophy in vivo. The H9c2 cell line model and transverse aortic constriction rat model will be used for both experiments. The findings of the project aim to reveal an affordable therapeutic strategy for treating cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure, particularly for low socioeconomic groups. If successful in modulating cardiac hypertrophy by targeting autophagy, the study will advance to clinical trials, with scientific knowledge generated from the study published in reputable scientific journals. These are the expected outcomes of the project.