Faculty & Staff Details

	Name:	Vardan T. Karamyan
	Position:	Assistant Professor
	Email:	vardan.karamyan@ttuhsc.edu
	Bio	Dr. Karamyan joined the Department of Pharamceutical Sciences in August of 2008. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy (Hons.) from the School of Pharmacy, Yerevan State Medical University, Armenia, and Ph.D. in Biology from the Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan, Armenia. He continued his postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Robert C. Speth at the Department of Pharmacology in the School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi.

Education:

Ph.D. Biology, Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan, Armenia, 2004

Pharm.D. (Hons.) School of Pharmacy, Yerevan State Medical University, Armenia, 2000

Research Interests:

Our group is studying nature and function of the brain renin-angiotensin system, and its regulation at the level of receptors and proteolytic enzymes in health and disease. In the last several years our main research efforts were focused on pharmacological and biochemical characterization of a novel, non-AT1, non-AT2 angiotensin binding site discovered in our laboratory. Most recently, we identified the novel angiotensin binding site as membrane-bound variant of metalloendopeptidase neurolysin (EC 3.4.24.16). Our current studies are focused on understanding the (patho)physiological function of neurolysin in stroke.

Additionally, in collaboration with Dr. Tom Abbruscato (TTUHSC, School of Pharmacy) we study the role of opioid receptors for neuroprotection in stroke. This project involves (patho)physiological and pharmacological studies to understand alterations of opioid receptors in pathophysiology of stroke, and development of new opioid ligands (in collaboration with expert medicinal chemists) to target these receptors
.
The following techniques/methods are regularly used in our laboratory: primary brain cultures (neuronal, astroglial and capillary endothelial), cell-viability assays, radioligand receptor binding assays (whole cell and membrane preparations), functional assays for GPCRs, in vitro autoradiography, immunoblotting, immunocytochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, protein modification and purification, proteolytic studies, enzymatic assays, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) by intraluminal suture for induction of permanent or transient brain ischemia in mice; laser Doppler flowmetry; supravital staining of brain slices (TTC); behavioral models to test sensorimotor function in mice; blood pressure monitoring in mice and rats using radiotelemetry, chronic and bolus dosing (i.c.v., i.v., i.p., i.m.) and sampling methods in rats and mice.

Publications:

1) Wangler N.J., Santos K.L., Schadock I., Hagen F.K., Escher E., Bader M., Speth R.C., Karamyan V.T. Identification of membrane-bound variant of metalloendopeptidase neurolysin (EC 3.4.24.16) as the non-angiotensin type 1 (non-AT1), non-AT2 angiotensin binding site. J Biol Chem. 2012;287(1):114-22.
2) Yang L., Shah K., Wang H., Karamyan V.T., Abbruscato T.J. Characterization of Neuroprotective Effects of Biphalin, an Opioid Receptor Agonist, in a Model of Focal Brain Ischemia. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2011;339(2):499-508.
3) Arumugam T.V., Cheng Y.L., Choi Y., Choi Y.H., Yang S., Yun Y.K., Park J.S., Yang D.K., Thundyil J., Gelderblom M., Karamyan V.T., Tang S.C., Chan S.L., Magnus T., Sobey C.G., Jo D.G. Evidence that {gamma}-Secretase-Mediated Notch Signaling Induces Neuronal Cell Death via the Nuclear Factor-{kappa}B-Bcl-2-Interacting Mediator of Cell Death Pathway in Ischemic Stroke. Mol Pharmacol. 2011;80(1):23-31.
4) Yang L., Wang H., Shah K., Karamyan V.T., Abbruscato T.J. Opioid receptor agonists reduce brain edema in stroke. Brain Research. 2011;1383:307-16.
5) Tadevosyan A., MacLaughlin E.J., Karamyan V.T. Angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists in the treatment of hypertension in elderly patients – focus on patient outcomes. Patient Related Outcome Measures. 2011;2:27-39.
6) Rashid M., Arumugam T.V., Karamyan V.T. Association of the novel non-AT1, non-AT2 angiotensin binding site with neuronal cell death. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2010;335(3):754-61.
7) Mizuno C.S., Chittiboyina A.G., Shah F.H., Patny A., Kurtz T.W., Pershadsingh H.A., Speth R.C., Karamyan V.T., Carvalho P.B., Avery M.A. Design, Synthesis, and Docking Studies of Novel Benzimidazoles for the Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome. J Med Chem. 2010;53(3):1076-85.
8) Lathia J.D., Chigurupati S., Thundyil J., Selvaraj P.K., Mughal M.R., Woodruff T.M., Chan S.L., Karamyan V.T., Mattson M.P., Arumugam T.V. Pivotal role for beta-1 integrin in neurovascular remodelling after ischemic stroke. Exp Neurol. 2010;221(1):107-14.
9) Karamyan V.T., Gadepalli R., Rimoldi J., Speth R.C. Brain AT1 angiotensin receptor subtype binding: Importance of peptidase inhibition for identification of angiotensin II as an endogenous ligand. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2009;331(1):170-7.
10) Thundyil J., Tang S.C., Okun E., Shah K., Karamyan V.T., Li Y.I., Woodruff T.M., Taylor S.M., Jo D.G., Mattson M.P., Arumugam T.V. Evidence that Adiponectin Receptor 1 Activation Exacerbates Ischemic Neuronal Death. Experimental & Translational Stroke Medicine. 2010;2(1):15.
11) Karamyan V.T., Stockmeier C.A., Speth R.C. Human Brain contains a novel non-AT1, non-AT2 binding site for active angiotensin peptides. Life Sci. 2008;83(11-12):421-5.
12) Karamyan V.T., Gembardt F., Rabey F.M., Walther T., Speth R.C. Characterization of the brain-specific non-AT1, non-AT2 angiotensin binding site in the mouse. Eur J Pharmacol. 2008;590:87-92.
13) Karamyan V.T., Speth R.C. Distribution of the non-AT1, non-AT2 angiotensin binding site in the rat brain: preliminary characterization. Neuroendocrinology. 2008;88(4):256-65.
14) Karamyan V.T., Speth R.C. Enzymatic pathways of the brain renin-angiotensin system: unsolved problems and continuing challenges. Regul Pept. 2007;143(1-3):15-27.
15) Karamyan V.T., Speth R.C. Identification of a novel brain-specific non-AT1, non-AT2 angiotensin binding site in the rat brain. Brain Res. 2007;1143:83-91