Skip to main content Skip to navigation

[University home]

School of Medicine

Professor Michael Taggart BSc, PhD

Honorary Chair in Reproductive Sciences

Address
Smooth Muscle Physiology Group, Cardiovascular Research and Maternal & Fetal Health Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL.
 

Research

  • Homeostasis and molecular signalling in smooth muscles

I am also a member of the Institute of Health Sciences Diabetes and Obesity Research Network. My research interests in this area include:

  • Resistance artery function in humans and animals
  • Pathways of Ca2+-sensitisation in resistance arteries
  • Dynamic Ca2+ homeostasis in resistance arteries
  • Changes in vascular signalling with pregnancy (incl. Diabetic pregnancy)
  • Role of caveolae in vascular signalling

Currently in MFHRC we have access to biopsies from normal non-pregnant and late pregnant women and also diabetic non-pregnant and late pregnant women.  These include arteries of the maternal circulation – omental and uterine -  and also arteries of the fetal circulation (placental).

Keywords

  • Basic Science
  • Micro-vascular problems (eg nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy)
  • Macro-vascular complications of diabetes
  • Pregnancy
  • Vascular signalling
 

Methodological Knowledge

  • Basic Sciences Methods
 

Biography

We examine the in vitro contractility of pressurised resistance arteries from animals and humans. Efforts concentrate on elucidating mechanisms of endothelial (dys)function, the patterns of Ca2+ oscillations in smooth muscle cells with conventional and confocal microscopy and the signalling pathways activated in smooth muscle using permeabilised preparations, pharmacological inhibitors and Western blotting.

 

Publications

2009

  • Withers SB, Taggart MJ, Baker PN, Austin CE. (2009). Responses of isolated pressurised rat uterine arteries to changes in pressure: effects of pre-constriction, endothelium and pregnancy. Placenta, 30( 6), eScholarID:1d20809 | DOI:10.1016/j.placenta.2009.03.011

2007

  • Mills TA, Taggart MJ, Greenwood SL, Baker PN, Wareing MM. (2007). Histamine-induced contraction and relaxation of placental chorionic plate arteries. Placenta, 28( 11-12), eScholarID:1d20128 | DOI:10.1016/j.placenta.2007.05.008

2006

  • Bugg G, Riley M.J, Johnston T.A, Baker PN, Taggart MJ. (2006). Hypoxic inhibition of human myometrial contractions in vitro: implications for the regulation of parturition. Eur. J. Clin. Sci, 36, 133-140. eScholarID:1d13107
  • Hemmings DG, Hudson NK, Halliday D, O'Hara M, Baker PN, Davidge ST, Taggart MJ. (2006). Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Acts Via Rho-Associated Kinase and Nitric Oxide to Regulate Human Placental Vascular Tone. Biol. Reprod, 74, 88-94. eScholarID:1d11860 | DOI:10.1095/biolreprod.105.043034
  • Shaw LM, Sweeney MA, Jones CJP, O'Neill SC, Austin CE, Taggart MJ. (2006). Caveolae and sarcoplasmic reticular coupling in smooth muscle cells of pressurised arteries: the relevance for Ca2+ oscillations and tone. Cardiovasc. Res, 69 (4), 825-835. eScholarID:1d13056 | DOI:10.1016/j.cardiores.2005.12.016
  • Sweeney MA, Jones CJP, Greenwood SL, Baker PN, Taggart MJ. (2006). Ultrastructural features of smooth muscle and endothelial cells of isolated isobaric human placental and maternal arteries. Placenta, 27, 635-647. eScholarID:1d11539
  • Wareing M, Myers JE, O'Hara M, Kenny L, Taggart MJ, Skillem L, Machin L, Baker PN. (2006). Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and omental and placental small artery function in normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol, 127(1), 41-49. eScholarID:1d15086

2004

  • Shaw LM, O'Neill SC, Jones CJP, Austin CE, Taggart MJ. (2004). Comparison of U46619-, endothelin-1- or phenylephrine-induced changes in cellular Ca2+ profiles and Ca2+ sensitisation of constriction of pressurised rat resistance arteries. Br J Pharmacol, 141( 4), 678-88. eScholarID:1d10789 | DOI:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705647
  • Wareing M, Myers JE, O'Hara M, Kenny L, Warren AY, Taggart MJ, Skillern L, Machin I, Baker PN. (2004). Effects of a phosphodiesterase-5(PDE5) inhibitor on endothelium-dependent relaxation of myometrial small arteries. American Journal Of Obstetrics And Gynecology, 190(5), 1283-1290. eScholarID:1d25907

2003

  • Shaw LM, S Ahmed, Austin CE, Taggart MJ. (2003). Inhibitors of actin filament polymerisation attenuate force but not global intracellular calcium in isolated pressurised resistance arteries. Journal of Vascular Research, 40, 1-10. eScholarID:1d25021
  • Wareing M, Greenwood SL, Taggart MJ, Baker PN. (2003). Vasoactive responses of veins isolated from the human placental chorionic plate. Placenta, 24.(7), 790-796. eScholarID:1d6550
  • Wareing M, H Bhatti, O'Hara M, Kenny L, AY Warren, Taggart MJ, Baker PN. (2003). Vasoactive effects of neurokinin B on human blood vessels. American Journal Of Obstetrics And Gynecology, 188(1), 196-202. eScholarID:1d5217

2002

  • Wareing M, Crocker IP, A Warren, Taggart MJ, Baker PN. (2002). Characterization of small arteries isolated from the human placental chorionic plate. Placenta, 23(5), 400-409. eScholarID:1d23499

Top of page

| Skip to main content | Skip to navigation | Skip to Search |