Lars Jørn Jensen

Lars Jørn Jensen

Associate Professor

The central part of my research is understanding how small arterioles and arterioles detect a local change in blood pressure, blood flow or oxygen availability and translates it into a change in the diameter of the vessel. This is also called arteriolar tone regulation. In this process K+ channels are extremely important for setting the resting membrane potential of the vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells of the vascular wall. Voltage-dependent and receptor- or mechano-activated Ca2+ channels are important for providing the Ca2+ influx that is crucial for active constriction of the arterioles. Finally, I am interested in the molecular mechanisms that detect a change in pressure, flow or PO2, and which leads to the downstream activation of signaling mechanisms in the vascular wall and changes in arteriolar tone.

Primary fields of research

  • Myogenic response, flow-mediated vasodilatation and mechano-reception in blood vessels
  • The role of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and receptor/mechano-activated cation channels in the regulation of tone and gene transcription in arterioles
  • The role of voltage-gated and Ca2+ activated K+ channels arteriolar tone regulation
  • Small systemic porcine arteries as a model of human peripheral vascular disease

Current research

  • Characterization of arteriolar responses in Ca2+ channel knockout mice
  • G-protein-mediated signaling and the vascular myogenic response
  • Cellular signaling in flow-mediated vasodilatation in obesity, hypertension and aging
  • Organoid culture of small peripheral arteries
  • Characterization of small systemic porcine arteries (coronary, cerebral and mesenteric) as a model of the human systemic vasculature

Teaching

  • Lectures, theoretical exercises and practicals on the physiology of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, acid/base-regulation and the autonomous nervous system for students of veterinary medicine, biology-biotechnology, human medicine, odontology and molecular biomedicine.
  • Supervision of Ph.D., Master's, Research Year and Bachelor students within the regulation of the cardiovascular system

Selected publications

  1. Published

    Myogenic tone is impaired at low arterial pressure in mice deficient in the low-voltage-activated Cav3.1 T-type Ca2+ channel

    Björling, K., Morita, H., Olsen, M. F., Prodan, A., Hansen, P. B., Lory, P., von Holstein-Rathlou, Niels-Henrik & Jensen, Lars Jørn, 2013, In: Acta Physiologica (Print). 207, 4, p. 709-720 12 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  2. Published

    BKCa and KV channels limit conducted vasomotor responses in rat mesenteric terminal arterioles

    Hald, B. O., Jacobsen, Jens Christian Brings, Braunstein, T. H., Inoue, R., Ito, Y., Sørensen, Preben Graae, von Holstein-Rathlou, Niels-Henrik & Jensen, Lars Jørn, 2012, In: Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology. 463, 2, p. 279-295 17 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  3. Published

    Oxygen sensing and conducted vasomotor responses in mouse cremaster arterioles in situ

    Ngo, T. A., Jensen, Lars Jørn, Riemann, Mads, von Holstein-Rathlou, Niels-Henrik & Torp-Pedersen, Christian, 2010, In: Pflügers Archiv: European Journal of Physiology. 460, 1, p. 41-53 13 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  4. Published

    Synergistic activation of vascular TRPC6 channel by receptor and mechanical stimulation via phospholipase C/diacylglycerol and phospholipase A2/¿-hydroxylase/20-HETE pathways

    Inoue, R., Jensen, Lars Jørn, Jian, Z., Shi, J., Hai, L., Lurie, A. I., Herborg, Freja, Salomonsson, M., Morita, H., Kawarabayashi, Y., Mori, M., Mori, Y. & Ito, Y., 2009, In: Circulation Research. 104, 12, p. 1399-1409 11 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  5. Published

    Alpha-adrenoceptor activation and myogenic responsiveness in rat mesenteric arteries: possible role of TRPC channels

    Lurie, A. I., Henriksen, F. H., Beech, D., Salomonsson, M. & Jensen, Lars Jørn, 2008, In: Proc Physiol Soc. p. PC11 1 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journalConference abstract in journal

  6. Published

    Transient receptor potential channels in cardiovascular function and disease

    Ryuji, I., Jensen, Lars Jørn, Hiromitsu, M., Motohiro, N., Akira, H. & Yushi, I., 2006, In: Circulation Research. 99, p. 119-131

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview

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