Dr Malcolm Watson
Profile
Lung Inflammation
Inflammation plays an important role in the pathology of lung diseases including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Our laboratories are carrying out a number of studies to examine the interactions between the resident cells of the lung and the substances released during immune responses, with a specific focus on the changes to airway and pulmonary cell function induced by the cytokines or lipopolysaccharide.
We are utilising a combination of cell and organ culture techniques and physiological measurements coupled with pharmacological and molecular approaches to determine the mechanisms of airway and pulmonary vascular dysfunction during inflammation. These techniques are being applied to examine TNF and IL-13 signalling in airway epithelial cells, and how these cytokines agents are able to modify the responsiveness of airway smooth muscle and vascular responsiveness.
A better understanding of the interactions between the cells and chemical mediators in the lung will enable the rational design of novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of inflammatory airway disease.
Publications
El-Bassossy, H. M., El-Fawal, R., Fahmy, A. and Watson, M. L., 2013. Arginase inhibition alleviates hypertension in the metabolic syndrome. British Journal of Pharmacology, 169 (3), pp. 693-703.
Pauling, J. D., Shipley, J. A., Raper, S., Watson, M. L., Ward, S. G., Harris, N. D. and McHugh, N. J., 2012. Comparison of infrared thermography and laser speckle contrast imaging for the dynamic assessment of digital microvascular function. Microvascular Research, 83 (2), pp. 162-167.
Korniejewska, A., McKnight, A. J., Johnson, Z., Watson, M. L. and Ward, S. G., 2011. Expression and agonist responsiveness of CXCR3 variants in human T lymphocytes. Immunology, 132 (4), pp. 503-515.
Korniejewska, A., Watson, M. L. and Ward, S. G., 2010. Analysis of CXCR3 and atypical variant expression and signalling in human T lymphocytes. In: Marelli-Berg, F. M. and Nourshargh, S., eds. T-Cell Trafficking. Vol. 606. Humana Press, pp. 125-147.
El-Bassossy, H. M., El-Maraghy, N. N., El-Fayoumi, H. M. and Watson, M. L., 2009. Haem oxygenase-1 induction protects against tumour necrosis factor α impairment of endothelial-dependent relaxation in rat isolated pulmonary artery. British Journal of Pharmacology, 158 (6), pp. 1527-1535.
El-Awady, M. S. H., Smirnov, S. V. and Watson, M. L., 2009. Voltage-independent calcium channels mediate lipopolysaccharide-induced hyporeactivity to endothelin-1 in the rat aorta. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 296 (5), H1408-H1415.
Farghaly, H. S. M., Blagbrough, I. S., Medina-Tato, D. A. and Watson, M. L., 2008. Interleukin 13 increases contractility of murine tracheal smooth muscle by a phosphoinositide 3-kinase p110δ-dependent mechanism. Molecular Pharmacology, 73 (5), pp. 1530-1537.
El-Awady, M. S. H., Smirnov, S. V. and Watson, M. L., 2008. Desensitization of the soluble guanylyl cyclase/cGMP pathway by lipopolysaccharide in rat isolated pulmonary artery but not aorta. British Journal of Pharmacology, 155 (8), pp. 1164-1173.
El-Awady, M. S. H., Smirnov, S. V. and Watson, M. L., 2008. Lipopolysaccharide-induced vascular hypocontractility to endothelin-1 in rats is dependent on non-voltage-gated calcium channels but not on calcium sensitization. Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology, 22 (Suppl 2), p. 74.
Farghaly, H., Causton, B., Blagbrough, I. and Watson, M. L., 2008. The effect of PI3K inhibition on IL-13-induced arginase I expression in mice tracheal segments. Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology, 22, p. 14.
