Pharmacology

The Department of Pharmacology is involved in the following research activities:

• Endocrine pharmacology, with a focus on vasopressin and oxytocin. We are interested in the characterization of the signal transduction mechanisms of these hormones.
• Lipid biochemistry; The role of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) in the cardiovascular system; and the study of the role of tonicity enhancer binding protein (TonEBP) in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular and renal disorders.

• Drugs acting on isolated smooth muscle. We are studying the effects of drugs on isolated smooth muscle and are at present focusing on genitourinary smooth muscle. The idea is that instead of developing new drugs for treating clinical disorders where there are abnormalities of contractility of genitourinary smooth muscle, existing drugs that influence the contractility of other smooth muscles of the body can be studied for their effects on the contractility of genitourinary smooth muscle.
• Epigenetics: Research on theoretical aspects of epigenetics (the study of heritable changes in gene expression not involving changes in DNA sequence).