Cardiovascular Complications of Obesity

The formation of blood vessels (angiogenesis) plays an important role in various physiological processes (e.g. wound healing, ovarian cycle) but also in diseases such as stroke, heart attack or tumorigenesis. The formation of new blood vessels originates from endothelial cells, which line the inside of vessels as part of the intima. In particular, we are investigating how metabolic changes in endothelial cells (e.g. disturbed lipid homeostasis) affect the process of vessel formation. For this purpose, wound healing (scratch assay) and new vessel formation (tube formation assay) are investigated in human endothelial cells and important representatives of the angiogenic signalling cascade are characterized biochemically. Metabolic changes at the cellular level are generated by various molecular biological techniques. Promising in vitro results will be validated and characterized in suitable mouse models ex vivo (retina assay, aortic ring assay) in strict compliance with the 3R principle. The aim of this project is to gain valuable new insights into the metabolism of endothelial cells during the formation of new blood vessels.

Due to the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity (also in younger age groups) and the lack of effective substances with few side-effects on the pharmaceutical market and in the food supplement sector, the identification of new active substances for the treatment of obesity is essential. In close cooperation with the Pharmacognosy department, our research aims to develop natural substance-based strategies to boost fat metabolism. To this end, interesting active substances are investigated in fat cell lines with regard to their anti-adipogenic and pro-lipolytic potential (quantification of free fatty acids, glycerol and neutral fats, measurement of lipolytic activity). In addition, important enzymes and transcription factors that play a role in the processes of fat formation and fat degradation are biochemically investigated. Promising active substances are tested in an obesity mouse model in strict compliance with the 3R principle. Our research will serve as a basis for the development of structurally optimized drugs for the treatment of obesity.