Journal of Bioequivalence & Bioavailability

Haroldo Alfredo Flores Toque

Haroldo Alfredo Flores Toque
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, USA

Biography

Dr. Haroldo A. Toque received his bachelor degree of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Universidad Catolica de Santa Maria, Arequipa, Peru. Following with his scientific purpose, he received his doctoral degree in Pharmacology from State University of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brasil. He currently serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow from American Heart Association in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, Georgia, USA. The long term of his research is to define the mechanisms by which cardiovascular diseases such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes induce vascular endothelial dysfunction. Arginase is an enzyme that competes with nitric oxide  synthase for their common substrate, Larginine, thus decreasing NO bioavailability. Growing evidence shows that elevated arginase activity is a key mediator in endothelial dysfunction and plays a critical role in cardiovascular diseases. In particular the downstream signaling of the activated RhoA or Rho kinase and Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase pathways leading to increased arginase activity/expression is been determined. Dr. Toque expects that his results will provide new information regarding the factor that activates arginase and their role in cardiovascular diseases and will help to identify possible therapeutic targets for preventing diabetes induced endothelial dysfunction.

Research Interest

The overall aim of my study is to better understand the mechanistic basis of vascular dysfunction, in order to identify new targets and develop new strategies to prevent endothelial and erectile dysfunction in hypertension and diabetes. We are particularly interested in determine the downstream signaling pathway by which diabetes induces endothelial dysfunction. We identify that activation of arginase is involved in diabetes and play a key role in cardiovascular diseases. We expect that understanding the mechanisms of diabetes-induced vascular dysfunction will help to identify possible therapeutic targets for preventing complications in cardiovascular system.