Fetal and Developmental Research Unit

Current Projects
Staff and Students
Research Grants
Publications

Current Projects

Maternal renal insufficiency - the effects on the mother, fetus, and long term effects on the offspring’s cardiovascular system, kidneys and the renin angiotensin system.
Micropuncture studies in the developing kidney with particular emphasis on tubuloglomerular feedback.

Staff and Students

Research Team
Dr Karen Gibson, Senior Lecturer.
Dr Amanda Boyce, Lecturer.
Dr Russell Brown, Post doctoral researcher.
Ms Vasumathy Kumarasamy, Research Assistant.
Ms Carol Juanton, Laboratory Assistance.

Ms Amanda O’Connell, PhD student
Ms Anita Turner, PhD student

Major Collaborators
Em/Prof Eugenie Lumbers, Conjoint Professor, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW
Prof Erik Persson, Uppsala University, Sweden

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Research Grants Since 2000

1998-2000. Lumbers, Gibson, Stevens & Zhang, The kidney and nutrition : effects on function and maturation. NH&MRC. 980227. Funds -1998 - $73,395, 1999 - $74,299, 2000 - $75,202.

1999-2001. Lumbers, Stevens & Gibson. Control of renal sympathetic activity in the conscious fetal sheep. NH&MRC. 9935690. Funds - 1999 - $61,199, 2000 - $62,888, 2001 - $64,574.

2001. Gibson: UNSW Goldstar Maintenance Grant. Funds - 2001 - $15,000.

2002-2003. Gibson, Lumbers & Wintour-Coghlan. Effects of an intrauterine asphyxial event on renal and cardiac function and development. NHF G01S 0423. Funds - 2002 - $50,000, 2003 $42,735.

2003. Boyce. Interactions between the fetal intrarenal renin-angiotensin system, the renal nerves and growth of the developing kidney. UNSW Faculty Research Grant. 2003-$19,290.

2003-2005. Gibson & Persson. Single nephron GFR and tubuloglomerular feedback before and after birth. NHMRC. 222757. Funds. 2003 - $143,687, 2004 - $120,000, 2005 - $120,000.

2004-2005. Gibson & Lumbers. Effects of maternal renal insufficiency on fetal renal development and renal function. Kidney Health Australia. P1 040506. 2004-2005- $75,000 p.a.

2004. Gibson & Lumbers. Effects of maternal renal insufficiency on fetal renal development and renal function. UNSW Goldstar Award. Funds. 2004 - $30,000

2005. Gibson & Lumbers. Effects of maternal renal insufficiency on the kidneys, blood pressure and renin angiotensin system of the offspring. UNSW Goldstar Award Funds. 2005-$30,000

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Publications Since 2000

Gibson, K.J., McMullen, J.R. & Lumbers, E.R. (2000) Renal acid-base and sodium handling in hypoxia and subsequent mild acidosis in fetal sheep. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 27, 67-73.

Hegarty, B.D., Burrell, J.H., Gibson, K.J., McMullen J.R. & Lumbers, E.R. (2000) Effect of cortisol on fetal ovine vascular angiotensin II receptors and contractility. European Journal of Pharmacology, 406, 439-448.

Marsh, A.C., Gibson, K.J., Wu, J., Owens, P.C., Owens, J.A. & Lumbers, E.R. (2001). Insulin-like growth factor I alters renal function and stimulates renin secretion in late gestation fetal sheep. Journal of Physiology, 530, 253-262.

McMullen, J.R., Gibson, K.J., Lumbers, E.R. & Burrell, J.H. (2001). Selective down regulation of AT2 receptors in uterine arteries from pregnant ewes given 24 h intravenous infusions of angiotensin II. Regulatory Peptides, 99, 119-129.

Marsh, A.C., Gibson, K.J., Wu, J., Owens, P.C., Owens, J.A. & Lumbers, E.R. (2001). Chronic effect of insulin-like growth factor 1 on renin synthesis, secretion, and renal function in fetal sheep. American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 281, R318-R326.

Lumbers E.R., Yu, Z.-Y. & Gibson, K.J. (2001). The selfish brain and the Barker hypothesis. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 28, 942-947.

McMullen, J.R., Gibson, K.J., Lumbers, E.R. & Burrell, J.H. (2002). 125I[Sar1Ile8] Angiotensin II has a different affinity for AT1 and AT2 receptor subtypes in ovine tissues. Regulatory Peptides, 105, 83-92.

Marsh, A.C., Lumbers, E.R. & Gibson, K.J. (2002). Renal, cardiovascular and endocrine responses of fetal sheep at 0.8 of gestation to an infusion of amino acids. Journal of Physiology, 540, 717-728.

O'Connell, A.E., Boyce, A.C., Lumbers, E.R. & Gibson, K.J. (2003). The effects of asphyxia on renal function in fetal sheep at midgestation. Journal of Physiology, 552, 933-943.

Lumbers ER, Boyce AC, Joulianos G, Kumarasamy V, Barner E, Segar JL, Burrell JH. (2005). Effects of cortisol on cardiac myocytes and on expression of cardiac genes in fetal sheep. American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 288, R567-74.

Boyce AC, Gibson KJ, Wintour EM, Koukoulas I, Lumbers ER, Effects of a 7 day amino acid infusion on renal growth, function and the renin-angiotensin system in fetal sheep. American Journal of Physiology Integr Comp Physiol (June 16, 2005). doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00055.2005

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