Division of Respirology

George Heigenhauser

JF, BA, MSc, PhD

Professor Emeritus, Division of Medicine, Department of Medicine

 

 

 

Research Interests

  1. The primary focus of my work is the allosteric control of pyruvate dehydrogenase and the integration between its activity and that of glycogen phosphorylase and carnitine palmitolytransferase-1 in regulating carbohydrate and fat utilization in human skeletal muscle.
  2. Specific studies include:
    1. Investigation of the effects of hypoxia on lactate production in human skeletal muscle during exercise.
    2. To determine the role of malonyl-CoA in inhibiting carnitine palmitolytransferase-1 activity in human skeletal muscle.
    3. Effects of diet on pyruvate dehydrogenase activity and fuel utilization in human skeletal muscle.
    4. Exercise training and fuel utilization in human skeletal muscles.
    5. Effect of acid-base status on fuel utilization in human skeletal muscle.
  3. Muscle biopsy, enzymatic analysis, fluorometry, HPLC.

Selected Publications

  1. Kimber NE, Heigenhauser GJ, Spriet LL, Dyck DJ. (2003) Skeletal muscle fat and carbohydrate metabolism during recovery from glycogen-depleting exercise in humans. J Physiol 548(Pt 3):919-927.
  2. Putman CT, Jones NL, Heigenhauser GJ. (2003) Effects of short-term training on plasma acid-base balance during incremental exercise in man. J Physiol 15:550(Pt 2):585-603.
  3. Watt MJ, Steinberg GR, Heigenhauser GJ, Spriet LL, Dyck DJ. (2003) Hormone-sensitive lipase activity and triacylglycerol hydrolysis are decreased in rat soleus muscle by cyclopiazonic acid. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 285(2):E419-419.
  4. Bezaire V, Heigenhauser GJ, Spriet LL. (2004) Regulation of CPT I activity in intermyofibrillar and subsarcolemmal mitochondria from human and rat skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 286(1):
    E85-91.
  5. Richards JG, Bonen A, Heigenhauser GJ, Wood CM. (2004) Palmitate movement across red and white muscle membranes of rainbow trout. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 286(1):R46-53.
  6. LeBlanc PJ, Peters SJ, Tunstall RJ, Cameron-Smith D, Heigenhauser GJ. (2004) Effects of aerobic training on pyruvate dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase in human skeletal muscle. J Physiol (In Press).