Loredana Quadro, Ph. D.
Research Interests
Our laboratory seeks to address how the metabolism of essential micronutrients, such as vitamin A and its carotenoid precursor β-carotene, influences health and disease throughout the life cycle. Our studies address fundamental biological questions at the interface of nutrient metabolism, metabolic signaling, and organs' adaptation to physiological stress with the goal to understand how to prevent the detrimental health consequences associated with both deficiency and excess of vitamin A. Our laboratory integrates numerous areas of expertise including mouse genetics, dietary manipulations, small surgery, cell culture, HPLC analysis of retinoids and β-carotene, qPCR and other biochemistry and molecular biology methodologies, retinoid-related enzymatic assays, and omics analysis. Current research projects focus on vitamin A metabolism in heart and liver.
Vitamin A and β-carotene metabolism in cardiac physiological remodeling
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that regulates not only organs' development but also their functions in adulthood, mainly owing to the transcriptional role of its active metabolite, retinoic acid. To date, the literature has implicated retinoic acid signaling as a cardioprotective against pathological remodeling. However, the role of retinoic acid in cardiac physiological adaptations has never been explored. We are currently investigating, both in vivo and in vitro, how cardiac vitamin A and/or β-carotene metabolism may impact such adaptations postnatally and during pregnancy, unique instances of cardiac physiological remodeling.
Mechanisms regulating vitamin A secretion from the liver
Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) is the sole specific serum carrier of vitamin A (retinol). Synthesized by and secreted from the liver, the major storage site of vitamin A in the body, RBP4 delivers retinol to peripheral tissues in times of need in a ternary complex with transthyretin (TTR). This project addresses a longstanding knowledge gap about how amino acid insufficiency affects whole body vitamin A homeostasis by regulating vitamin A efflux from the liver. This is a collaborative endeavor with the laboratory of Dr. Tracy Anthony at Rutgers University.
